Food Security: The Brazilian Case

The report concludes that Brazil's transition to a net food exporter has not adversely affected its national food security. While food availability is more than sufficient, chronic food insecurity persists for millions due to income inequality and poverty rather than trade-driven shortages. The government utilizes the Guaranteed Price Policy to support small and medium farmers and has implemented various social welfare programs, such as the Zero Hunger Program, to improve food access. The analysis also highlights the critical role of fertilizer imports and the impact of oil prices on production costs.

• Brazil has transitioned from a net food importer to a net exporter over less than three decades, driven by increased productivity and the cultivation of new areas.
• National food availability in Brazil is more than sufficient, with per capita availability in grain equivalent exceeding 340 kg per year, which is approximately one third above nutritional requirements.
• Despite sufficient food availability, nearly one third of the Brazilian population faces food insecurity because they cannot afford to buy food, indicating that hunger is driven by income distribution rather than trade policies.
• The Guaranteed Price Policy is the primary agricultural tool for food security, designed to ensure purchase prices for small and medium-sized farmers cover production costs and provide reasonable profits.
• Brazil's role in global commodities trade grew significantly between 1998 and 2007, particularly in soybeans and refined sugar, where it held market shares of 31.90% and 29.95% respectively by 2007.
• The Zero Hunger Program (Programa Fome Zero), launched in January 2003, aimed to provide food access to 11.4 million families (approximately 50 million people) within five years.
• Fertilizer costs are a major driver of food prices in Brazil due to a high dependency on imports; the proportion of imported raw materials for fertilizer production rose from 36% in 1990 to a forecast of 80% in 2010.
• There is a direct correlation between fertilizer and oil prices because oil is a raw material for nitrogen production, meaning oil price increases raise agricultural production costs.
• The More Food Program (Programa Mais Alimento) was created by the Ministry of Agrarian Development to strengthen small farms and counter the 2006-2008 global food crisis.
• Increased productivity in staple foods has largely compensated for the reduction in cultivated areas for rice and beans up until 2006.

APA

Amaral, W. A. N. D., & Peduto, A. (2010). Food Security: The Brazilian Case. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_brazil.pdf

Chicago

Amaral, Weber Antonio Neves do, and Alessandro Peduto. Food Security: The Brazilian Case. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_brazil.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Amaral |first1=Weber Antonio Neves do |last2=Peduto |first2=Alessandro |title=Food Security: The Brazilian Case |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_brazil.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{amaral2010food, author = {Amaral, Weber Antonio Neves do and Peduto, Alessandro}, title = {{Food Security: The Brazilian Case}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_brazil.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }