Politic and policies for food and nutrition security: meanings given by urban community leaders and residents of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

This article analyzes the perceptions of community leaders and/or residents of a poor neighborhood in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, regarding the State ’ s action in FNS. The methodology combined conceptual maps and focus group that were implemented in two different moments (2014 and 2016, respectively) of a participatory action research. Results highlight, at both times, the distance of local actors regarding FNS policies. At the beginning of the action research, perceptions on FNS emphasized individuals ’ responsibility, showing the unawareness on the human right to food. Two years later, narratives of the focus group heavily criticized the State for not complying with its obligations. In the participants ’ discourse, hunger and food and nutrition insecurity appear as both the expression and the instrument of historically established oppression systems - racial, patriarchal, and of social class. The discussion on which interests are defended by the State brings forward the issue of democracy and representativeness. The distrust regarding social and FNS policies constitute a crucial problem to be explored in the current context of policy decommissioning and democratic setbacks.
Source: Saude e Sociedade - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research