Abstract

The concept of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS), set in a Brazilian Organic Act of 2006, covers a number of dimensions, such as the guarantee of regular access to food, adequate in quantity and quality, without prejudice to other essential needs and sustainable in various aspects (economic, social and environmental).

Especially after 2003, some public policies have been implemented and strengthened in order to ensure the FNS. These policies are mostly the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Development and Struggle Against Hunger, MSD, although the management is shared by a number of ministries and other areas  within an agency called Câmara Interministerial de SAN, CAISAN [Interministerial Chamber of FNS, ICFNS]. Even considering the complexity of the concept and the variety of FNS programmes and dissemination, the Pesquisas Nacionais por Amostras de Domicílios, PNAD [National Household Sample Survey], developed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE, and scientific researches on unrepresentative samples, especially in the Public Health field, have often used the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale, EBIA, which was adapted from the American version and validated for use in Brazil.
Because it is easy to apply, because it is a scale with 14 questions that can be answered with yes or no, it is an important aid in obtaining primary quantitative data, with the possibility of statistical analysis and research on associated factors, within a epidemiological adjacent rationality. The use of this instrument has generated relevant data  with which it was possible to get an overview of the FNS in Brazil in 2004, and to evaluate its evolution and determinants in 2009 and 2013. Despite its importance, the scale is limited to assess the dimensions of physical access to food or concern/fear of not having food, of resources (including financial) ending before having enough to acquire more.

As a result, other nuances are not addressed as the contamination of food by pesticides/heavy metals residues, the presence of genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), lack of knowledge about the origin of food (traceability), lack of accuracy in relation to the composition of processed foods and the labelling. Thus, reflexivity on these (dis)trusts, (un)certainties (and risks?) generated by the hegemonic food system is limited and unable to ascertain the extent of FNS’ achievement in Brazil in all its dimensions.
 

Bio note

Julicristie Machado de Oliveira holds a PHd.in Public Helath at USP, and is currently professor of the Degree in Nutrion of the FCA, Sate University of Campinas, UNICAMP,  also supervising the Interdisciplinary Post-Graduate Programme in Applied Social and Human Sciences at UNICAMP.

Her research focuses on issues re agriculture, sustainability, agroecology, under the standpoint of dissemination of food safety, on which she has published extensvley, such as, and more recently, CAMPOS, A. A. O.; COTTA, C. R. M. M.; OLIVEIRA, J. M. ; SANTOS, A. K. ; ARAUJO, R. M. A. (2014) "Aconselhamento nutricional de crianças menores de dois anos de idade: potencialidades e obstáculos como desafios estratégicos" [ Nutritional advisory to children under two years of age: potentialities and obstacles as strategic challenges], Ciência e Saúde Coletiva, v. 19, p. 529-538 e Oliveira, J.M.; Rondó, P. H.C. (2011), "Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Hypertriglyceridemia in HIV-Infected Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis", HIV Clinical Trials, v. 12, p. 268-274.

Activity within the Democracy, Citizenship and Law  Research Group (DECIDe)