Inequality of Food Security and the Aleination of Marginalized 

Populations in Brazil

There are many reasons why food security is a problem within Brazil but it is useful to look at political corruption as a contributing factor. The largest blame of why food security is not at the success it should be at could perhaps lay in the hands of the government.

Corruption has contributed to widespread poverty creating the accessibility to basic needs unattainable, creating inadequate agriculture opportunity due to failed political promises and a drive to make profit off of exports, along with an even larger gap between the rich and the poor that has all contributed to food insecurity within Brazil.

Some examples of corruption in relation to food security include:

Challenges with food security usually tend to focus on production or consumption, leading to “global institutions [that] have been directing intervention at the supply end of the food system – mostly through initiatives that promote trade liberalization and support large-scale agricultural productivity” states Jarosz (Schneider, Sonnino, Torres, 1). 

Brazil’s neoliberal food system has supported the North, in the sense that the “Brazilian public food system was designed to support large-scale private companies and exclude small producers” (8). As it has become obvious, neoliberal policies do not tend to support the poor, it advances the rich. So in turn, if Brazil is not looking out for their own people and the government’s only concern is with large scale private companies and investors, then there is going to be a lack of food security within Brazil. Along with a lack of faith in the Brazilian government.

Corruption with relation to agriculture is another dynamic of food security that must be acknowledged. Adequate agriculture production is important with relation to food security because it provides the foundation for fundamental access. If there is more adequate agriculture than there would be more access to food. There is a problem with large scale companies having the upper hand with purchasing land but there is also a problem regarding deforestation with relation to accessible agriculture.

The Brazilian government is concerned with profit, rather than investing back into their own people. The Brazilian agri-business is export oriented causing unsustainable food security, since all of the food being produced is shipped to countries in the North. There would be far less poverty if this food stayed in the country to feed their own people. Political will is the stepping stone for change in any developing country.

Biofuels do their part in maintaining a healthy climate they have also affected the global agriculture markets by increasing the prices of food, which in turn affects food access. There are cons associated with biofuels with their connection to food security. The book also looks at several countries but focusing more closely with Brazil the author explains how Brazil is known for sugarcane and molasses in biofuel production (17). With relation to this Brazil is the world’s largest bioethanol producer and is also the largest sugar producer and exporter. (18).