Concepts

Food and Nutrition Security

Consists in the accomplishment of the right of all to regular and permanent quality food, in sufficient amount, without compromising the access to other essential needs. This access must be based on promoting healthy food practices, respect to the cultural diversity and environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability. 

The situations of food and nutritional insecurity can be detected from different types of problems: hunger, obesity, illnesses associated to poor nourishment and the consumption of food from doubtful origin or even harmful to one’s health. Additionally, the predatory food production concerning the environment, the abusive prices and the imposition of food standards which do not respect the cultural diversity are also food insecurity provokers. 

Human Right to Adequate Food

Adequate food is a human being’s fundamental right, inherent to the dignity of every person and indispensable for the accomplishment of the Brazilian Federal Constitution’s consecrated rights. That is why the public administration adopts the policies and actions necessary to promote and guarantee population’s food and nutrition security. 

The adoption of these policies and actions should take into account the environment, cultural, economic, regional and social dimensions. It is a public power obligation to respect, protect, promote, provide, inform, monitor, check and evaluate the accomplishment of the human right to adequate food. 

Food Sovereignty

The achievement of the human right to adequate food and of food and nutrition security requires the respect of the sovereignty, which confers to the countries primacy on their decisions about food production and consumption. 

Intersectoriality

Means a series of articulated and coordinated actions, using the existing resources in each sector (material, human, institutional) in a more efficient manner and directing them to actions which obey a pre-established priorities scale. 

If the government and society sectors act on their own, we will not have an effective policy on food and nutrition security. Resources which are dispersed and used without a global planning are more easily wasted or used by isolated groups for their own private interests. 

National System for Food and Nutrition Security (Sisan) 

The Sisan is an instrument that allows government and civil society organizations to act together in regard of the formulation and implementation of policies against hunger as well as actions to promote food and nutrition security. 

Society and the public power (municipal, state and federal governments) should also act jointly in the following up, monitoring and evaluation of the nutrition situation of the population, defining rights and obligations of public power, families, companies and society in general. 

The participation in the system must obey principles and guidelines defined by Consea and by the Food and Nutrition Security Interministerial Chamber (Caisan).  

Food and Nutrition Security Indicators

There are main indicators to monitor the progressive realization of the human right to adequate food in the context of Brazil’s food and nutritional security. They are part of the proposal prepared by the Consea’s Executive Group for Indicators and Monitoring. 

The purpose of these indicators is making Consea an instrument for monitoring the system, which should answer at any time the following fundamental questions: Who are the individuals / people who have violated their human right to adequate food? Where are they? How many? What are the causes of serious insecurities? What can be done to eliminate the food and nutrition insecurity or vulnerability?