Scenarios of Vegetable Demand vs. Production in Brazil: The Links between Nutritional Security and Small Farming

Author(s)

Nolasco, Camille L. ^[1] ; Soler, Luciana S. ^[1] ; Freitas, Marcos W. D. ^[2] ; Lahsen, Myanna ^[1] ; Ometto, Jean P. H. B. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Natl Inst Space Res INPE, Earth Syst Sci Ctr CCST, BR-12227 Sao Jose Dos Campos - Brazil

^[2] Fed Univ Rio Grande Sul UFRGS, Dept Geog, BR-4314902 Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: LAND; v. 6, n. 3 SEP 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Dietary guidelines urge Brazilians to increase their consumption of raw vegetables. Yet key issues must be tackled by the government and civil society, not only to foster consumers' appetite for healthier food, but more importantly to diminish the gaps between local demand and production, determined by food and land accessibility. We examine whether vegetable production in Brazil meets the demand to provide Brazilians the daily amount of fresh food recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). We developed demand scenarios in Brazil for 2008 and 2030, based on demand density maps built at the district level using production census surveys, household acquisition data, and population growth estimates. Results reveal an inherent inequality in vegetable consumption between the southern and central northern regions of Brazil that follows food insecurity regional indicators. Even in more urbanized regions and metropolitan areas, where the best balance between vegetable production and acquisition is found, simulated demand is far from WHO recommendations. A complementary discussion regarding land distribution and fresh food production supports our outlook on the weaknesses of existing rural policies for land reform and sustainable local fresh food production that directly affect demand and nutritional security. This work was the foundation to the Delivering Food Security on Limited Land (DEVIL) project in Brazil supported by Belmont Forum consortium. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/50627-2 - Feedback loop interactions between land use change and food security dynamics - DEVIL
• Grantee: Jean Pierre Henry Balbaud Ometto
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/02773-5 - Devil: promoting food security with restricted land availability
• Grantee: Luciana de Souza Soler
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral