The problems of nutrition in Brazil
Sanders, T.G.
American Universities Field Staff Reports South America 16: 1-19
1982
PMID: 12338491 Document Number: 390813
Low income is the factor most often associated with the existence of malnutrition. Malnutrition in Brazil is more frequently found among Brazilians with less than 2 minimum salaries/family and who live in the less developed parts of the country. In 1976, 59.2% of urban residents earned 2 or less minimum salaries. A study found that those rural residents engaged in agriculture on their own or someone else's property were better paid than those who live from salaried labor alone; temporary salaried workers are the largest rural class in Brazil and have the lowest levels of nutrition. In urban areas the informal sector represent the lowest nutrition level group. The issue of food consumption by the lower classes is linked to 4 aspects of Brazilian development: 1) structure of food production, 2) distribution of income, 3) government attempts to influence prices and marketing systems, and 4) the role of government food supplementation programs. Brazil suffers today from unbalanced growth among its various economic sectors and regions, inequitable income distribution, and inadequate public services. The misconception of the necessity of a large industrial base for development resulted in the neglect of the rural sector and thus higher malnutrition. Recent regulatory efforts by the government have begun to increase rural production, but production of agricultural exports has increased at a much more rapid pace than that of domestic food commodities. Small farmers have not taken advantage of new financial opportunities offered by the government to balance production levels because: 1) banks do not have enough for the demand, 2) access to the small producer of foods is difficult, and 3) the present hesitation to risk his few possessions. The largest percentage of income in Brazil goes to the richest classes and the economy is oriented towards meeting the demands of the more prosperous classes. The government's program of minimum support prices has not been successful in stabilizing prices yet it continues to feel that this policy is the key to increasing productivity. Other government programs such as market intervention through COBAL, the Brazilian Food Company designed to reduce consumer costs and CEASA, large wholesale markets, but these have not succeeded. The National Program of Feeding and Nutrition's projects for poor families aim to provide 50% of calorie and protein needs and nutrition information; there are about 2.5 million beneficiaries. However the program's workers find it too limited and ineffectual. Other feeding programs have also met with little success. Until government policy reflects the true needs of the population, Brazil's nutrition problems cannot be solved.