Governmental programmes associated with food insecurity among communities of descendants of enslaved blacks in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To assess access to government programs and their association with food insecurity in families from quilombolas communities in Brazil. Design: An analysis of secondary data from the 2011 Quilombolas Census was performed in Brazilian territories. The Brazilian Household Food Insecurity Measurement Scale (Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar, EBIA) was used to assess the household food insecurity status. The relationships of governmental programs with the levels of food insecurity were estimated using logistic regression models. Setting: Greater national survey census of food and nutritional security of the recognized Quilombolas Brazilian territories. Participants: 8,743 quilombolas families. Results: The prevalence of household food insecurity was 86.1% (moderate/severe food insecurity: 55.9%, 95% CI: 54.8-56.9). After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, access to rural development programs (Food Acquisition Program: OR: 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.8, p-value <0.01) and health programs (Center for Family Health Support: OR: 0.5, 95% CI 0.5-0.7, p-value <0.001) were inversely and significantly associated with moderate/severe food insecurity. The Brazilian conditional cash transfer program (Bolsa Família) was associated with quilombolas families with moderate/severe levels of food insecurity (OR: 3.3, 95% CI 2.8-4.0, p-value <0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of food insecurity was high among quilombolas families. Despite reduced participation in governmental programs, rural development, agriculture and conditional cash transfer programs are fundamental to the autonomy of quilombolas communities. In spite the low participation, when families are able to access these programs, the study revealed the importance of these initiatives in reducing the likelihood of severe levels of food insecurity.

Regional and social inequalities in food insecurity in Brazil, 2013-2018

“…This finding may contribute to the debate on gender inequality among more developed regions. Moreover, in both studied years, households with mixed-race/black individuals were directly associated with food insecurity, which corroborates previous studies 34,35,36,37 and shows that although more than half of the Brazilian population is mixed-race/black 2 , social policies to advance racial equity and eradicate structural injustices that have historically relegated this population to the margins of society still have much to develop.…”

One health approach to toxocariasis in quilombola communities of southern Brazil

“…In addition to rural area exposure, higher toxocariasis seroprevalence is also more likely in those with lower educational and socioeconomic levels living under poor sanitary conditions as observed in our study [ 9 ]. Not surprisingly, a nationwide Brazilian survey has observed inadequate sanitation in 8291/8743 (94.8%) quilombola communities [ 16 ]. The main reported factors associated with quilombola vulnerability included low family income and education, difficulty in accessing drinking water, lack of health services [ 42 – 45 ], and food insecurity in the household [ 16 , 46 ].…”

“…Not surprisingly, a nationwide Brazilian survey has observed inadequate sanitation in 8291/8743 (94.8%) quilombola communities [ 16 ]. The main reported factors associated with quilombola vulnerability included low family income and education, difficulty in accessing drinking water, lack of health services [ 42 – 45 ], and food insecurity in the household [ 16 , 46 ]. In this scenario, the lifestyle of quilombola populations favors high exposure to Toxocara spp.…”

“…As land subsistence practices and agricultural activities have been reportedly inherited in quilombola culture [ 16 , 50 ], human infection risk may be related to close contact with soil contaminated by Toxocara spp. eggs in rural areas [ 11 , 40 ], with all adult participants referring to agricultural practices in our study.…”

“…Another vulnerable and traditional Brazilian community (named quilombola) comprises former African slaves and their descendants, who have historically remained in rural and semi-isolated areas since the time of slavery [ 14 ], preserving their African culture and subsisting on agriculture and forest resources [ 15 ]. Despite historical government efforts, this population has lived under poverty, greater social and health needs, poor quality of life, and nutritional insecurity [ 16 ]. A total of 494 quilombola communities were registered in the recent 2022 census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), with 167,202/1,327,802 (12.6%) individuals living within these territories out of the total of self-declared quilombola population in Brazil (Fig.…”