December 16, 2021

Territory, Risk and Public Policies

José Manuel Mendes e Pedro Graça

This thesis proposes a sociological perspective to unveil the meanings of food and nutrition (in)security at different organizational levels of Angolan society, without neglecting a more global reading of the problem. Various theoretical models are combined with the expectation of better understanding the governance of food and nutrition, safety and confidence in food, and risk management strategies (community, family and individual levels) for food and nutrition security. The social determinants of health and food and nutrition security are highlighted, being taken as a reference for the identification and characterization of food and nutrition (in)security situations. The lived experiences constitute the starting point of this qualitative and quantitative study, which starts from the reality of one municipality (Belas) to advance trends in the province (Luanda) and the country (Angola). A participatory action research approach was chosen, with the purpose of establishing direct contact with the reality(s) and, together with the communities, finding governmental and non-governmental responses to guarantee the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition. According to the results, structural determinants, which depend on public sector actions, negatively influence the food and nutrition security experiences of the entire Angolan population. This means that factors external to individuals, such as water, sanitation, electricity and access to primary health and education services, are the ones that most contribute to the transversal nature of food and nutrition insecurity and the non-compliance with food and nutrition security, so well reflected in the (non)achievements of governance and public management that have made invisible the concerted and participatory actions held between State, Market and Civil Society. We conclude that an understanding of territory and territorialities, which emphasizes identity aspects and community practices, brings a new, more complete, and realistic analytical perspective to food and nutrition security studies in developing contexts.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition Security; Social Determinants of Health; Food and Nutrition Security Determinants; Lived Experiences