AGROECOLOGY, FAMILY FARMING AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Weaving ideas and building intersectoriality in Food Security and Nutrition policies in Brazil

Claudia Job Schmitt CPDA/UFRRJ

Catia Grisa PPGDTSA/UFPel

4th Annual LCIRAH CONFERENCE – June 3rd and 4th  2014 – Birbeck College, London

1. Agriculture, food and nutrition in theBrazilian context

2. Research questions

3. Agroecology, family farming and publichealth: an analysis of five policyinstruments

4. Building intersectoriality: advances andchallenges

1. Agriculture, Food and Nutrition in the Brazilian Context

Reduction of poverty and income inequality, duringthe last decade.

6.5 million people under extreme poverty in 2012 (R$ 70,00 per capita, according to the Brazilian povertyline, established in 2011)

From 10 to 15 million people under poverty, depending on the poverty line adopted (IPEA, 2013)

Brazilian population - Demographic Census, 2010)

Urban Rural TOTAL160.925.792 84,36% 29.830.007 15,64% 190.755.799 100%

Source: IBGE, 2011

Graph 1: Population under poverty: rural and total (%)

Source: (Neri et al, 2012)

Graph 2: Inequality in Brazil – Gini Index

Source: (Neri et al, 2012)

Food Security and Nutrition

Improvements in the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 (indexes are still high in the North and Northeast regions) (CONSEA, 2011)

High prevalence of overweight and obesity(teenagers and adults). 54,7% of the men and 47,4 of women above 20 are overweight in 2013 (MS/Vigitel, 2013). Obesity reaches 18% of thewomen and 16% of the men above 20 (MS/Vigitel, 2013).

Child obesity grew 1.000% in the last 40 yearsreaching 39% of the

From 1995/1996 to 2006/2007 (IBGE)

- Crop area grew from 37 million ha to 46,2 million ha

- Production had a positive percentual variation of 79% (73,6 million tons to 131,7 million tons)

- Grain yield per hectare went from 1.990 kg per ha to2.851 kg per ha

- Changes in agricultural export values from US$ 13,8 billionin 1995 to US$ 36,9 billion

Agricultural exports are an important element in Brazilian macroeconomic policy: positive balance of

US$ 82 billion in 2013 (MAPA, 2014)

Business agriculture remains as a strong coalition in theNational Congress

The Agricultural Sector in the Last Two Census

84%

16% Family farmsNon family farms

Family farm sector: 84% of production units, 24% ofthe land, 12,3 million people working in agriculture

24%

76%

Family farmsNon family farms

Source: IBGE, 2006

R$ 2.4R$ 24.1R$ 21.7

R$ 156.1

R$ 0.0

R$ 20.0

R$ 40.0

R$ 60.0

R$ 80.0

R$ 100.0

R$ 120.0

R$ 140.0

R$ 160.0

R$ 180.0

2002 2014

Family farming

Business agriculture

Family farming and business agriculture: public investments2002/2003 and 2014/2015

Source: BRASIL, 2002 and 2014

Contribution of family farming to food production

Source: IBGE, 2006

Soil erosion in Brazil: (600 million tons. a year, according to EMBRAPA’s estimates

Degradation of soil and water resources

Pesticide consumption, agricultural production and fertilizerconsumption

Pesticides (million liters)

Cultivated area (million ha)

Fertilizers (10 thousand tons

Source: ABRASCO, 2012According to estimates soil losses in Brazil can reach 500 million

Key role of family farming for food securityand nutrition

The agricultural model based on commodity exports is highly dependent on theproductivity of natural resouces. Exploitationof land, water and biodiversity rent-seeking

Food quality matters

Food policies in Brazil can be addressed in a perspective of ecological public health (Lang, Barling and Caraher, 2009)

Agroecology is a new perpective, underconstruction

Agroecology : a science, a set of practices and a social process of change

Core principles of agroecology: recycling nutrients and energy on the production site, rather than introducing external inputs; integrating crops and livestock; diversifying species and genetic resources in agroecosystemsover time and space; focusing on interactions and productivity across the agricultural system, rather than focusing on individual species; social and ecological sustainability beyond the farm.

Knowledge intensive, combining scientificaknowledge and local knowledge

2. Research questions

Implementation in Brazil, since the 1990’s, and particularly since 2003, of differentpolicies and programs that try to addressfood security and nutrition

Connections established, in different policies and programs, between FNS and familyfarming

Formulation, in the last two years (2012) of a National Program of Agroecology andOrganic Production

FOCUS

Influence of new ideas and concepts in public policy

Institutionalization of ideas

Social actors and policy networks

Limits and possibilities of intersectoriality (possible links betweenagroecology, family farming and health)

Background: National Policy of Food Security and Nutrition, National Plan 2012-2015

Qualitative comparison between five different policy instruments: :

(i) the Food Acquisition Program; (ii) the National School Meal Program; (iii) the National Policy of Food and Nutrition (coordinated by the Ministry of Health); (iv) the National Policy of Integral Health of People from the Grasslands and the Forest; and (v) the National Policy of Agroecology and Organic Production.

3. Agroecology, family farming and public health: anassessment of five different policy instruments

National School Meal Program 1955/1993 Ministry ofEducation

National Policy of Food and Nutrition 1999 Presidentiallevel

Food Acquisition Program 2003 Intercectorial, Ministry ofSocial Development

National Policy of Integral Health of People from the Grasslands and the Forest

2011 Ministry ofHealth

National Policy of Agroecology and Organic Production

2012 Ministry ofHealth

2011 – National Plan of Food and Nutrition Security – 2012-2015

FAMILY FARMING 1995-2014Formulation and implementation of new policy instruments

PRONAFSpecific credit program for 

family agriculture1995

PNATER National Policy

of TA and ExtensionAgroecology and

SustainableAgriculture2004 e 2009

SEAFFamily Agriculture Insurance

Program2005

PGPAFFamily Farm Price Guarantee

Program2006

PAAFood Acquisition Program

2003

Mais AlimentosCredit line for agriculturalmachinery and farm

implements2008

PNBFamily farmers were

included in theNacional Biodiesel Program

2004

Lei 11.326 / 2006 – Family Farmand Family Enterprises Law

PRONATNational Program ofSustainable Rural

Territories2004

PNAENational School Feeding

Program(restructuring)

2009

PGPM‐BioMinimum Price Policy

for biodiversity /sociodiversityproducts2008

PNAPONational Policy of Agroecology

and Organic Production2012

* Law 10.831/2003Organic Production

Law 

Ministry of Agrarian Development

CitizenshipTerritories ‐

2008

Food and Nutrition Security 1993-2014

Creation of the NationalFood Security Council

(CONSEA) underPresident Itamar Franco

1993

Extinction of CONSEA under President

Fernando Henrique Cardoso 2005

Lauching of Zero Hunger Program andrecreation of CONSEA at Presidential Level

President Lula2003

Bolsa Família  Cash Transfer Program

200413,8 million

families in 2013

Organic Law of Food Security and Nutrition ‐ 2006

Right to Food included in the Brazilian Constitution

2010

Brasil Sem Miséria Plan

2011

National Plan ofFood and

Nutrition Security 2012‐2015

Health, Food Security and Nutrition and Family Farming (1999-2014)

First Conferenceof Food andNutrition1986

Política Nacional de Alimentação 

e Nutrição1999

National Policy ofIntegral Health ofPeople From theGrasslands and the

Forest 2011

Renewing ofPNAN2011

POLICY OR PROGRAM GOALS AND FOCUS

National Policy of Food andNutrition 1999

To work within the National Health System. Organize nutritional attention and care; promote healthy andadequate food; monitor food and nutrition indicators; food safety, research, participation; social control.

National School Feeding Program1955-1993. Reformulated in 2009

Supply of school meals to the public educationnetwork(44 miillion students in 2013). Innovation: 30% of the spending, at state and municipal level , shouldbe used to buy food from family farmers. The program also regulates the quality of food providedthorugh school meals. Preferencial purchase andprice premium for agroecological and organicproducts

Food Acquisition Program 2003 To link family farm production to social programsthrough different schemes of purchase anddistribution. (aproximately 180.000 family farming unitsa year). Price premium of 30% do agroecologial andorganic products.

National Policy of Integral Health of People from the Grasslands and the Forest 2011

Work within the National Health System. Access of people from the grassland na the forest to health attention. Risk reduction (organization of labor, pestices and other contaminants).

National Policy of Agroecology and Organic Production 2012

Integrate actions and policy instruments in the transition to agroecology and organic production.

Interplay of atores and ideas in the formulation of theFood Acquisition Program

Grisa, 2012

4. Building intersectoriality: advances and challengesPivotal role of civil society networks and organizations in thestrenghtening of Food Security and Nutrition

FNS PUBLIC ACTION: policy makers + construction of differentpublic arenas. State-Society interfaces

Interaction between new concepts and ideas and theestablished institutional framework (convergences and gaps)

Strong political actors are important but skilled actors, with theknowledge and capability to circulate within different worlds are very important

Recognition of the specificity of family farming and its positive connections with health and the environment

The construction of the National Policy of Food and NutritionSecurity, National Council of Food and Nutrition and NationalPlan as a key element in the support of different policies andprograms