Is there a national food security policy with implementation/action?
YES
Primary challenge in Brazil is access to food, not production.
Households generally have too little income to buy adequate food
Agricultural production concentrated in southern part of country, food insecurity greatest in north
Small-scale, family-owned farms play an important role in food production in the country
Lots of momentum in 1990s
-1993, President Itamar Franco declares combatting hunger a primary priority for the government; took steps for the implementation of a National Food Security Policy
-Drawing up of nation-wide hunger map
-Creation of the National Food and Nutritional Security Council (CONSEA)
-1994, first National Congress on Food Security held
Post-1995, fight against hunger incorporated into fight against poverty (Comunidade Solidária strategy); continued but lost attention from govt
-1998, establishment of Brazilian Forum on Food and Nutritional Security (remains important actor in Brazilian food security today)
-1999, National Policy on Food and Nutrition approved by Ministry of Health
-2003, President Lula assumes power, in inaugural speech declares aim for all Brazilians to have 3 meals a day by the end of him mandate, and establishes Zero Hunger (Fome Zero) program, Brazil’s national strategy on food and nutritional security
-2004, creation of Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Agrário (MDSA); coordinates and executes Fome Zero program
as well as other social welfare intitiatives
Fome Zero:
-Consists of 20+ initiatives in four axes of intervention
Food access: income provided through Bolsa Família (world’s largest conditional cash transfer program); food programs in schools and for at-risk
populations
Strengthening of family agriculture: financial help; insurance
Income generation: microcredit etc
Articulation, Mobilization, and Social Control: reference centers; social committees
Budget:
Bolsa Família has the largest budget within Fome Zero, around 8 billion USD
PNSAN — Decree 7272 (2010) established the obligation to enact National Food and Nutritional Security Policy, and a Plan, in line with LOSAN and the constitution. From 2003-2010, the Food and Nutrition Security activities and programs were discussed and coordinated with the support of CONSEA
National Food and Nutritional Security Program (adopted 2010):
Right to food is explicitly mentioned as overall objective
Aims to identify the factors that influence food and nutritional security
Work across sectors, linking programs that affect this area
Promotion of sustainable agro-ecological food production and distribution systems
Respect for *food sovereignty
The first PLANSAN (National Plan) was issued in 2011. See evaluation of achievements of 2012-2015 plan in: http://www4.planalto.gov.br/consea/publicacoes/balanco-plansan
Results of food security policies thus far: Significant reduction in poverty rates by 2010
Challenges that remain include:
Further embedding the right to food and nutrition in international, national, and federal policy frameworks
Ensuring better inclusion of marginalized groups
Combating and mitigating the effects of climate change
Current political instability in country…effect this will have on Fome Zero and other social welfare programs remains yet to be seen
