As many as 8.4 million Brazilians faced hunger between 2021 and 2023, accounting for 3.9% of the population of the world’s fifth largest agricultural producer, a recently published study conducted by five specialized United Nations agencies has revealed. This comes against a backdrop of huge levels of wasted food, with the country discarding 30% of the food it produces every year.
As alarming as this may seem, the number of people affected by hunger actually decreased compared to the 2020-2022 period (4.2% of the population – 9 million people) during which time the country continued to grapple with the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This trend is also corroborated by data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the country’s main social research body. Over the past five years, more than 1.6 million people no longer face hunger but millions of families still struggle every day to secure enough food. In 2023, food insecurity affected one in four households in the country, with 64 million Brazilians lacking sufficient access to necessary food resources.
An even more troubling issue affects 4% of these households, where approximately 8.6 million people continue to suffer from severe food deprivation and live under the constant threat of hunger.
In Brazil, 27.6% of households, equating to 21.6 million homes, experienced food insecurity in 2023. This includes 18.2% (14.3 million households) facing mild food insecurity, 5.3% (4.2 million households) dealing with moderate food insecurity, and 4.1% (3.2 million households) suffering from severe food insecurity.
While data indicates some progress – the percentage of households experiencing food insecurity is lower than during the pre-pandemic years (2017 and 2018) when hunger affected 36.7% of the Brazilian population – it remains higher than it was a decade ago.
However, these improvements are insufficient to remove Brazil from the Hunger Map, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.
Hunger has been a persistent issue in Brazil which until recently had been on a steady path to reduce its incidence. Under Dilma Rousseff’s administration (2010 to 2014), the country exited the UN Hunger Map but reappeared in 2022 during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency amid a pandemic that devastated the nation.
To leave the Hunger Map, Brazil needs to reduce the percentage of its population facing chronic food insecurity to below 2.5% over a three-year period, which translates to approximately 5.5 million people.
Brazil without hunger
In 2023, the government under President Lula da Silva launched a new program called “Brazil Without Hunger” which aims to remove Brazil from the Hunger Map by 2026. The program particularly focuses on access to income, poverty reduction, and affordable public food programs. One of its key components is the expansion of social programs such as Bolsa Família, which provides a fixed income of 600 reais (US$120) per month to 20.4 million Brazilian families, totaling 14.1 billion reais (US$3 billion) in investments.
“The recent improvements in the labor market and average income, along with the expansion of public policies, help to address food insecurity. However, the ultimate victory over hunger in Brazil depends on economic growth that generates enough jobs and income to cover the costs of adequate food and other basic needs,” notes Cícero Péricles, an economist at Ufal who specializes in poverty and social issues.
The “Brazil Without Hunger” program also allocates 25 million reais for the purchase of food from family farmers to supply over 1,000 solidarity kitchens in 25 states and the Federal District. The program provides three free meals a day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – to over one million people.
Through the Food Acquisition Program, the Brazilian government buys products directly from rural producers and distributes this to social projects, public schools, hospitals, and community restaurants.
In 2023 alone, 163,000 tons of food were produced by over 81,000 family farmers.
“There are producers here who had no market for their produce, and now they are making a living from it. Some are fixing their homes due to the program, and others are getting their food from the PAA,” says rural producer, Ivanildes Sousa. “If I harvest half a box of carrots, I send what I harvested. We plant knowing the destination. We provide organic food, without any pesticides,” she adds.
Food waste and recycling
Despite the high levels of hunger, Brazil is one of the countries with the highest rates of wasted food in the world. According to IBGE data, approximately 30% of what is produced in the country is discarded, which amounts to about 46 million tons of food per year.
It is estimated that 80% of this waste occurs during handling, transportation, and at supply centers. Statistics show that over R$1.3 billion worth of fruit, vegetables, and greens are discarded annually in Brazilian supermarkets, with each Brazilian throwing away an average of 60 kilograms of food that is still in a good enough condition for consumption.
See also: Why do Latin Americans go hungry having that much food?
To combat this waste, networks of solidarity work together to recycle food that is destined for disposal, such as Mesa Brasil, managed by Sesc, a social and cultural entity supported by commercial associations.
Celebrating 30 years in 2024, Mesa Brasil is the largest private food bank network in Latin America, operating through donations from partners. It collaborates with 3,000 partner donor companies, including rural producers, wholesalers and retailers, distribution and supply centers, and food industries, along with companies from various sectors.
These companies donate their production surplus, food that is not of commercial standard but still safe and suitable for consumption. According to Sesc, the program has supported over 7,000 registered social welfare organizations and benefited an average of 2.1 million people monthly in 2023.
“About 30% of everything planted is wasted before it even leaves the field. These are foods that can be utilized. It’s an opportunity to provide more possibilities and ensure quality food for the poorer population of our country,” explained Cida Pessoa, manager of Mesa Brasil.
In addition to social programs like Mesa Brasil, there are technological initiatives that connect producers with the end consumer. One example is the app B4waste which promotes the sale of near-expiry foods at attractive prices thus helping to reduce waste. According to Luciano Kleiman, co-founder and CEO of the company, more than 400 tons have been sold since the project began in March 2021.
The primary target audience is residents of communities near the partner stores and supermarkets.
“Every product I consume that doesn’t end up being thrown away prevents gas emissions and is good for the planet,” Kleiman states. He emphasizes that the economic aspect provides an added incentive.
