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| Author(s): |
Fernanda Helena Marrocos Leite
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR) |
| Defense date: | 2023-12-01 |
| Examining board members: |
Carlos Augusto Monteiro;
Ricardo Abramovay;
Gabriela Marques Di Giulio;
Fabio da Silva Gomes
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| Advisor: | Carlos Augusto Monteiro; Neha Khandpur |
| Abstract | |
Introduction: Agrobiodiversity is key for promoting healthy diets and moving towards more sustainable food systems. Despite this, global agrobiodiversity is declining, especially the diversity of plant species used for human consumption. Objective: This thesis aims to study the agrobiodiversity mobilized by household food acquisition in Brazil and the influence that ultra-processed food and beef acquisitions might exert on agrobiodiversity. Methods: Cross-sectional study in which data from the 2017-18 National Household Budget Survey were used to quantify the total amount of foods purchased. Household aggregates (n=575) were used as the unit of analysis. All food items were classified according to the Nova classification system. A sequential, four-step approach was applied to estimate the plant species underlying household food acquisitions. The Shannon index was used to evaluate the diversity of plant species mobilized. Linear regression models were used to test associations between the share of beef and of ultra-processed foods in total food acquisition and the Shannon index. The first manuscript presents the hypotheses of this thesis and highlights the lack of debate around the effects of ultra-processed foods on agrobiodiversity in global food systems fora, biodiversity conventions and climate change conferences. The second manuscript describes the methodological approach used to estimate the agrobiodiversity linked to human diet, and applies this approach to Brazilian food purchase data. The third manuscript describes the diversity of plant species mobilized by the Brazilian population, and investigates the impact of different food acquisition patterns (with a focus on ultra-processed foods and beef) on the diversity of plant species mobilized. Results: More than 95% of the total amount of plant species required by Brazilian household food acquisitions came from only six species - brachiaria, maize, soybean, rice, sugarcane and wheat. The average Shannon index relative to the diversity of plant species that underlie household food acquisitions in Brazil was 0.86, indicating low diversity. Adjusted mean values of the diversity index decreased significantly as the share of beef to total food acquisition increased, in all scenarios of ultra-processed food acquisition. Similarly, the Shannon index tended to significantly decrease with an increase in the share of ultra-processed foods to total food acquisition in all scenarios of beef acquisition, except in the fifth quintile of beef (p>0.05). The Shannon index decreased by half (51%) moving from a scenario with the lowest share of both ultra-processed foods and beef to total food acquisition (1.22) to a scenario with the highest share of both food groups (0.60). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a low diversity of species mobilized by Brazilian household aggregates and a high concentration in a small number of species. The diversity of species mobilized decreased with an increase in both the share of ultra-processed foods and of beef in total food acquisitions. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 21/08988-1 - Impact of the acquisition of ultra-processed foods and animal-sourced foods on agrobiodiversity in Brazil (2002-03, 2008-09 and 2017-18) |
| Grantee: | Fernanda Helena Marrocos Leite Villamarin |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |