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Success Stories - Brazil

Host Country

Brazil

Highlights

Eradicating food insecurity is a priority, backed by a strong political agenda.

Beneficiaries

84 million

Budget

5.8 million

Commencement Date

2003

Background
  • Brazil, with a population of 170 million, is the largest and most densely inhabited country in South America. Despite its relative prosperity (US$3 500 GDP per head), 44 million Brazilians, a quarter of the population, lives in extreme poverty on a daily income which is less than US$1.06 a day.
  • Recent studies have revealed that about 90% of Brazil's total food production is concentrated in the south, south-east and the southern part of the central western region. However, 60% of food insecure populations are located in the north and north-eastern regions. Here, local food production is inadequate to satisfy the populations nutritional requirements.
  • In December 2002, at the request of President Lula, a FAO-led multi-agency mission convened in Brazil to lay the foundations for the implementation of the Zero Hunger Programme.
  • An FAO Technical Cooperation Programme grant funded 3 projects (with an estimated value of US$1.1 million) in support of the Zero Hunger Programme. These included: background studies; policy formulation; developing a monitoring and evaluation system; and working on participatory methodologies for reaching the most vulnerable groups in the north-east of Brazil.
  • In the light of the promising results attained by these projects, the Government of Brazil and FAO signed a US$5.8 million agreement in December 2003, to bolster cooperation in support of the Zero Hunger Programme.
Goals

Guaranteeing food security and eliminating hunger in Brazil through an integrated set of policies. The Programme seeks to mobilize different areas of Government (Federal, State, municipal and local) and civil society, NGOs, unions, church groups, private sector, etc.

Activities
  • In 2003, the Government of Brazil launched a major conditional cash transfer programme known as "Bolsa Familia". This involves transferring about US$20 per month to the poorest families in situations of food insecurity. By the end of 2005, the "Bolsa Familia" programme had significant results - it improved the lives and nutritional intake of more than 8 million families.
  • Another significant initiative was the Food Products Procurement Programme, which aimed to ensure a market (and reasonable price) for products from small-scale farmers. Some of the methods were: direct procurement of products at harvest for maintaining local food security stocks; advanced procurement of products at planting time; local procurement by local governments to be used in school feeding programmes, and a programme supporting milk production and consumption, benefiting producers with limited production and bargaining power.
Results
  • Despite a far from ideal economic situation, the results achieved by the Zero Hunger Programme have been remarkable, and the level of national resources allocated considerable.
  • The Brazilian experience has been instrumental in encouraging other countries, in both Africa and Latin America, to follow Brazil's example.
  • FAO encourages food security experiences to be exchanged between countries, through the "América Latina y Caribe sin Hambre" programme.