The Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Agricultura, Alimentação e Desenvolvimento (GEPAD), coordinated by Prof. Sérgio Schneider (UFRGS), was founded in 2005 by a group of professors and students involved with the Graduate Program in Rural Development of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (PGDR/UFRGS). At the time, the first Family Agriculture and Rural Development Colloquium was organized, enabling academic debate among researchers interested in understanding the social, economic and productive diversity of family agriculture, as well as its insertion and influence on development processes. Over the years the group has grown and currently its members make up a multidisciplinary team of researchers working in different Universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad.

CERESAN – Centro de Referência em Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional is a research and training center that brings together researchers and students from various areas of knowledge and national and foreign institutions, working on issues of Food Sovereignty and Nutritional Security (SSAN) and the Human Right to Adequate and Healthy Food (DHA) in Brazil and internationally. Created in January 2003, it has headquarters in the Graduate Program of Social Sciences in Development, Agriculture and Society of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (CPDA/UFRRJ) and the School of Nutrition of the Federal Fluminense University (UFF). The Center is coordinated by Professors Renato S. Maluf (UFRRJ) and Luciene Burlandy (UFF). CERESAN is affiliated to the Brazilian Forum of Sovereignty and Food and Nutritional Security, offers subsidies to the National Council of SAN (CONSEA) and is a member of CONSEA-RJ.