July 25, 2018

Territory, Risk and Public Policies

José Manuel Mendes e Sancha Batista

The aim of the present work is to analyse and compare the Public Health Food Policies in existence in Portugal and Brazil, through its competent bodies, the Food and Economic Security Authority - ASAE and the National Health Surveillance Agency - ANVISA, specifically in street markets in the cities of Coimbra and Foz do Iguaçu, respectively. The study area for the analysis of the practices of such public policies was the physical space of popular traditional street markets (open-air), in order to ascertain their performance, in compliance with the fulfilment of their activities, the methods and the instruments implemented at the time of control, inspection and the prevention of risks to consumers, in obedience with their regulatory legislation. This study can contribute with exchange of experiences, suggestion for implementation of norms, or even the complementarily of international norms of food security in street markets between the two countries, enabling the strengthening of these norms with the unification of goals, increasing security and minimizing the risk to which the consumer is exposed, in addition to making him aware of his rights to public food security policies, as well as his vulnerability, including his own failures as a consumer. It is argued that if in some countries a public health control policy occupies a positively relevant role, and in other cases the pursued strategies result in the most diverse social "disasters", why not analyse the characteristics and the extent to which these policies are conducted, as well as their relation with the regulation of the food sector in study, and also the forms of implementations applied in countries of reference, adjusting them to the one in greatest need? In order to conduct the study, the multidisciplinary of the theme was taken into account, considering knowledge of the areas of sociology, food engineering and food security policies. By combining methodologies such as documentary research, in which the laws and norms of public food security policies of both countries were detailed, field research, through direct observation (on-site), supported by data collection, using instruments such as: interview questionnaires with consumers, stallholders and governmental agencies, a checklist based on the aforementioned regulations for the commercialization of food in street markets and the use of iconographic registration to prove all the argumentation and coverage of the research goals. Examining the data obtained in the two countries, it was evident that the food producers/distributors of the studied street markets put the population at risk, without considering its vulnerability, maintaining inappropriate postures regarding the necessary care in food handling, including for their own consumption. This reinforces the need to carry out more studies in this area. It should be emphasised that it is equally important the involvement of public food security policies actors with others involved in the theme, such as producers, food distributors and consumers, in an efficient and systematised manner. As a way of improving the space and the theme studied, and proposing more immediate solutions, a more in-depth diagnosis is suggested before stallholders, in order to survey their main difficulties in following the guidelines described in the laws of local public food security policies, with respect to the implemented actions and application of these laws in force.

Keywords: Coimbra, Foz do Iguaçu, Informal trade, Street markets, Food Security