New Study Indicates Significant Increase in Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Brazil

Researchers from Freie Universität Berlin are investigating the pressing issue of food inequalities. No 089/2021 from May 14, 2021 According to a study conducted by researchers at Freie Universität Berlin in cooperation with Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and Universidade de Brasília, as many as six out of ten households in Brazil are currently at risk of food and nutrition insecurity. This is an increase of about 23 percent compared to 2017 and 2018. Furthermore, the study found that there has been an 85 percent reduction in the consumption of healthy food during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study points to Brazil's regional differences in food insecurity (especially in the north and northeast of the country) in terms of food scarcity and limited options both in availability and quality. A number of different fascinating demographic insights were gleaned through the study; for example, single-parent families, especially those headed by women, low-income and poor households, rural populations, and homes with children were at a much greater risk of food insecurity. Race and ethnicity was another important factor, with about 67 percent of households made up of Black people or people of color describing their food situation as insecure.