Urban agriculture, health promotion and food and nutritional security in the city of Embu das Artes

• Grant number: 11/23187-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Cláudia Maria Bógus
• Grantee: Cláudia Maria Bógus
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Helena Akemi Wada Watanabe

Abstract

In the last two decades, patterns of nutritional status and food intake within Brazilians have experienced significant changes that are analyzed as part of nutrition transition process. This process is currently characterized by an increased ingestion of ultra-processed food products (with high energy density) in substitution to traditional food products, along with low intake of fruits and vegetables. In Brazil, about 40% of the population lived with food insecurity in 2004. Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA) have a great contribution to increase food security, to improve nutrition and health within poor communities and to create a cleaner and healthier environment. In recent years, many experiences of UPA have been developed in Brazil, but studies about its association to health, particularly to health promotion, barely exist. Aiming to understand the influence of the development of activities and projects related to urban agriculture, on health promotion and quality of life of the participants. Applying the following methodologies: experience systematization, interviews focus groups and participant's anthropometric measurements of two projects implemented in the city of Embu das Artes, Brazil, the authors intend to systematize the experience of UPA in the city of Embu das Artes/SP; to identify and to map UPA projects; to provide the diagnosis of the nutritional status and food insecurity situation of the participants in urban gardens; to characterize the eating habits of the participants in the UBS gardens; to know the meanings attributed to gardening. (AU)