No abstract

The quantification of food losses and waste (FLW) has become a research hotspot in the last decade, but little work has been done to have food waste data in Latin American countries. This paper contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by examining the magnitude of FLW along the whole food supply chain (FSC) in Peru. The methodological approach was based on the top-down mass flow analysis at all steps of the FSC for the 2007–2017 period (most recently available data), including different food commodity groups (CGs), such as cereals, roots and tubers, oil seeds and pulses, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, and milk. Results show an annual average of FLW of 12.8 million tonnes, which represents 47.76% of the national food supply. Regarding per capita quantities, the average amount of FLW was 426.56 kg per year when considering the entire FSC, and 67.34 kg per year when considering only the consumption step. This study suggests which steps of the FSC and CGs are the most promising targets for FLW reduction strategies in Peru.

The current global food production is enough to meet the caloric needs of the 7 billion individuals. On the other hand, 821 million people are currently malnourished. Living on a planet with this contradiction should lead to more effective actions in combating food insecurity. Food loss and waste contribute to this scenario, both in the economic sphere and in the use of inputs such as water, energy and work for the production process, and greenhouse gases emissions. The lack of data and a precise method of quantification should not prevent the producing countries and food suppliers, such as Brazil, from quantifying their food loss and waste. Through a methodology used by Oelofse and Nahman, we performed an exercise in quantifying FLW in the Brazilian food supply chain. Thus, an improved understanding of this topic can be initiated. An annual average of loss and waste of 82,200 tons was identified between the years 2007 and 2013. This represents 42% of the average national food supply for the period. The average amount of loss and waste were 427 kg/inhabitant/year. The edible portion corresponds to 327 kg/inhabitant/year. Specific studies that quantify and detail the loss and waste of food by the productive chain are necessary to assist in the resolution of this problem.

Overweight and obesity are a worldwide pandemic with geographic differences. Possible explanations include variable access to food and its quality, dietary habits of the populations, behavioral patterns, and characteristics of the food markets. This study aimed to examine the acquisition of food in the different regions of Brazil and to relate it with the geography of Brazilian obesity. We used data provided by a Brazilian official organ, which gathers periodic data on the household food acquisition. Descriptive statistics and multidimensional scaling techniques were used to ascertain the similarity of food acquisition among populations in the Brazilian states. High levels of overweight and obesity occur in all states (>44%), especially in the southern half of the country (>54%). We found differences in the food acquisition patterns throughout the country. Furthermore, we identify that states with similar dietary patterns have similar population levels of overweight and obesity, demonstrating a possible relationship between the food supply models and these food insecurity manifestations as expressed in the individual health. However, the occurrence of regional singularities suggests that the food supply model constitutes only one of the multiple variables that compete for diversity in the Brazilian regional distribution of obesity and overweight. We found that socioeconomic conditions influence nutritional misalignment in the geography of Brazil. Our results show that overweight and obesity have a higher occurrence in middle age (35-79 years), and it is more present in females. Moreover, women with lower education and lower incomes have higher levels of overweight and obesity, an association of unhealthy food intake with poverty. In men, obesity is more frequent in those with more schooling and higher incomes. Based on the widely variable geographical characteristics of the distant states of Brazil, we conclude that overweight and obesity go beyond an individual lifestyle and access to quality food, and is more related to a complex framing of factors, like schooling, age, sex, income, feeding patterns, food markets, and anthropological circumstances.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a evolução do crédito rural no período de 2004 a 2011, por meio dos financiamentos de custeio-comercialização e de investimento, tanto para a agricultura empresarial quanto para a familiar, assim como suas correlações. Para tais análises, os dados foram coletados a partir das estatísticas de crédito rural do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento e do Banco Central do Brasil. Avaliou-se a correlação, isto é, a relação linear e a proporcionalidade entre os valores monetários dos financiamentos de custeio-comercialização e de investimento. O financiamento para custeio e comercialização atingiu valores maiores e apresentou um forte grau de correlação com a agricultura empresarial. O financiamento de investimento obteve um maior crescimento durante o período analisado e indicou um intenso grau de relacionamento com os dois tipos de agricultura. Conclui-se que a agricultura empresarial utilizou mais o crédito rural para financiar custeio-comercialização quando comparada à agricultura familiar.