Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic poses one of this century’s greatest public health challenges, with impacts on the health and living conditions of populations worldwide. The literature has reported that the pandemic affects the hegemonic food system in various ways. In Brazil, the pandemic amplifies existing social, racial, and gender inequalities, further jeopardizing the Human Right to Adequate Food (HRAF) and the attainment of food and nutritional security, especially among more vulnerable groups. In this context, the article aims to analyze the first measures by the Brazilian Federal Government to mitigate the pandemic’s effects and that may have repercussions on food and nutritional security, considering the recent institutional changes in policies and programs. A narrative literature review was performed, and the information sources were the bulletins of the Center for Coordination of Operations by the Crisis Committee for Supervising and Monitoring the Impacts of COVID-19 and homepages of various government ministries, from March to May 2020. The actions were systematized according to the guidelines of the National Policy for Food and Nutritional Security. The analysis identified the creation of institutional crisis management arrangements. The proposed actions feature those involving access to income, emergency aid, and food, such as authorization for food distribution outside schools with federal funds from the National School Feeding Program. However, the setbacks and dismantlement in food and nutritional security may undermine the Federal Government’s capacity to respond to COVID-19.

Keywords:
Food and Nutrition Security; COVID-19; Public Policy

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic poses one of this century’s most severe global health challenges, with direct and indirect impacts ¹1. Freitas ARR, Napimoga M, Donalisio MR. Análise da gravidade da pandemia de Covid-19. Epidemiol Serv Saúde 2020; 29:e2020119.^,22. Barreto ML, Barros AJDD, Carvalho MS, Codeço CT, Hallal PRC, Medronho RDA, et al. O que é urgente e necessário para subsidiar as políticas de enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil? Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200032.. In Brazil, the first case was confirmed in February 2020, and as of July 1 there were 1,448,753 cases and 60,632 deaths (Ministério da Saúde. Painel Coronavírus. https://covid.saude.gov.br/, accessed on 01/Jul/2020). The insufficient scientific knowledge on the disease and its rapid spread created uncertainties concerning the definition of strategies to fight the pandemic.

In Brazil, one of the main measures has been social distancing, which has been the object of extensive debate due to its economic, social, and psychological repercussions ²2. Barreto ML, Barros AJDD, Carvalho MS, Codeço CT, Hallal PRC, Medronho RDA, et al. O que é urgente e necessário para subsidiar as políticas de enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil? Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200032.^,33. Arrais TPA, Oliveira ARD, Alencar D, Salgado TR, Lima LDO, Viana JLR, et al. Relatório: Pandemia COVID-19: o caráter emergencial das transferências de renda direta e indireta para a população vulnerável do Estado de Goiás. Espaço e Economia: Revista Brasileira de Geografia Econômica 2020; IX:13734.. Social distancing has been implemented to different degrees in Brazil’s states and municipalities (counties). The skeptical stance by government authorities, including the President of Brazil, who does not believe in the efficacy of social distancing to control the pandemic ⁴4. Valfré V. Bolsonaro volta a criticar isolamento social: não dá para continuar assim. Estadão 2020; 26 mai. https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/agencia-estado/2020/05/26/bolsonaro-volta-a-criticar-isolamento-social-nao-da-para-continuar-assim.htm.
https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noti... ^,55. Bezerra ACV, Silva CEM, Soares FRG, Silva JAM. Fatores associados ao comportamento da população durante o isolamento social na pandemia de COVID-19. Ciênc Saúde Colet 2020; 25 Suppl 1:2411-21. and has adopted a discourse at odds with the Ministers of Health ⁶6. Oliveira M, Mello I. Subnotificação, crise, polarização: razões para baixa adesão ao isolamento. UOL 2020; 18 abr. https://noticias.uol.com.br/saude/ultimas-noticias/redacao/2020/04/18/subnotificacao-faz-populacao-relaxar-e-aumentar-proliferacao-da-covid-19.htm.
https://noticias.uol.com.br/saude/ultima... , besides the failure to adopt convergent action with common criteria among the three levels of government (federal, state, and municipal) in relation social distancing ⁷7. Moraes RFD. COVID-19 e medidas legais de distanciamento social: tipologia de políticas estaduais e análise do período de 13 a 26 de abril de 2020. Brasília: Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada; 2020. (Nota Técnica, 18)., the turnover in Ministers of Health, and the absence of a permanent Health Minister (for 46 days, as of June 30, 2020) ⁸8. Troca de ministros afeta todo o sistema de saúde, afirma secretário de SP. UOL 2020; 19 mai. https://noticias.uol.com.br/saude/ultimas-noticias/redacao/2020/05/19/troca-de-ministros-afeta-todo-o-sistema-de-saude-afirma-secretario-de-sp.htm.
https://noticias.uol.com.br/saude/ultima... can undermine the efficacy of this measure to fight the pandemic and to ensure the population’s adherence.

Another key point is that social distancing as a necessary measure cannot be subordinated to economic logic, but must be tied to the guarantee of human rights ²2. Barreto ML, Barros AJDD, Carvalho MS, Codeço CT, Hallal PRC, Medronho RDA, et al. O que é urgente e necessário para subsidiar as políticas de enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil? Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200032.^,99. Mello G, Oliveira ALM, Guidolin AP, Caso C, David G, Nascimento JC, et al. A coronacrise: natureza, impactos e medidas de enfrentamento no Brasil e no mundo. https://www.eco.unicamp.br/images/arquivos/nota_cecon_coronacrise_natureza_impactos_e_medidas_de_enfrentamento.pdf (acessado em 22/Abr/2020).
https://www.eco.unicamp.br/images/arquiv... . The challenges are even greater in a country like Brazil, since little is known about the characteristics of transmission in a context of social and demographic inequality, with precarious housing and sanitation conditions, without regular access to water, in situations of crowding, high prevalence of chronic diseases, and widespread human rights violations ²2. Barreto ML, Barros AJDD, Carvalho MS, Codeço CT, Hallal PRC, Medronho RDA, et al. O que é urgente e necessário para subsidiar as políticas de enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil? Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200032.. Such rights include the Human Right to Adequate Food (HRAF) and the guarantee of food and nutritional security.

Food and nutritional security is known to be affected by the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, especially considering situations of social, economic, ethnic-racial, gender, and healthcare access inequalities ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... . The Global Report on Food Crises¹¹11. Global Network Against Food Crises; Food Security Information Network. Global Report on Food Crises. Joint analisys for better decisions. Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute; 2020. estimates that 135 million persons suffered from food insecurity in 2019, while an interview by economist Daniel Balaban of the World Food Program predicts that due to the economic effects and interruptions in the food chain resulting from COVID-19, this figure could reach 265 million persons in 2020 ¹²12. Brasil está voltando ao mapa da fome, diz diretor da ONU. Exame 2020; 12 mai. https://exame.com/brasil/brasil-esta-voltando-ao-mapa-da-fome-diz-diretor-da-onu/.
https://exame.com/brasil/brasil-esta-vol... . The pandemic affects the supply and demand of foods and reduces purchasing power and the capacity to produce and distribute foods, especially affecting more vulnerable communities.

The State’s role is thus crucial for mitigating the pandemic’s effects, with short, medium, and long-term measures to control not only COVID-19 itself but also the pandemic’s consequences. The current article aims to analyze the first measures by the Brazilian Federal Government to mitigate the pandemic’s effects and that have potential repercussions on food and nutritional security, considering the recent institutional changes in policies and programs.

Methodological procedures

This is an empirical study with analysis of bibliographic sources and documents. To identify actions by the Federal Government for mitigation of the pandemic’s effects with potential repercussions on food and nutritional security, we analyzed the bulletins of the Center for Coordination of Operations by the Crisis Committee for Supervising and Monitoring the Impacts of COVID-19 (CCOP in Portuguese) on the website of the Office of the Chief of Staff (https://www.gov.br/casacivil/pt-br), besides the homepages of various government ministries, from March to May 2020. Next, the actions were organized systematically according to the guidelines of the Brazilian National Policy for Food and Nutritional Security (PNSAN). All the actions identified in the above-mentioned period that could have repercussions on food and nutritional security were included in the current study.

A narrative literature review was also performed, analyzing scientific articles and position papers by civil society organizations on the recent institutional changes in public policies and programs in foos and nutritional security in Brazil, in addition to Brazilian and international documents focusing on the relationship between COVID-19 and food and nutritional security ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... ^,1313. Cullen MT. Coronavirus food supply chain under strain. What to do? Food systems transformation. Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.^,1414. FIAN Internacional. Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Right to Food and Nutrition. Preliminary monitoring report. https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-the-news/covid-19/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-... ^,1515. Committee on World Food Security. Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN). Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020., adopted as the theoretical framework for the analysis of the actions by the Brazilian Federal Government during the pandemic. Narrative reviews aim to describe and discuss the “state of the art” on a topic from the theoretical or contextual point of view. This kind of review does not present a methodological reproduction, but contributes with pertinent questions and collaborates with the updating of knowledge on a given topic in a short time period ¹⁶16. Rother ET. Revisão sistemática X revisão narrativa. Acta Paul Enferm 2007; 20:v-vi..

The articles and documents were collected non-systematically from March to May 2020. We searched scientific databases and institutional homepages, such as Google Scholar; SciELO; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Committee on World Food Security (CFS); FIAN International and Brazil; and Brazilian Forum on Food Sovereignty and Security (FBSSAN). Newspaper articles were also consulted to identify current issues on the topic.

Results and discussion

The pandemic is evolving, and little is known about its dynamics, duration, and geographic scope, making it difficult to measure its impacts. However, we know that social distancing measures can impact access to income and have short, medium, and long-term effects on the regularity of production, access, availability, supply, and prices of foods, and consequently on the guarantee of food and nutritional security and the HRAF ¹⁷17. Maluf R. Comer em tempos de pandemia e após. Jornal GGN 2020; 3 abr. https://jornalggn.com.br/a-grande-crise/comer-em-tempos-de-pandemia-e-apos-por-renato-s-maluf/.^,1818. The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems. COVID-19 and the crisis in food systems: symptoms, causes, and potential solutions. Bruxelas: The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems; 2020.^,1919. Global Food Security Cluster. Coronavirus, impact on well-being, health, food access and food security. https://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/covid_19_impact_on_food_security.pdf (acessado em 14/Mai/2020).
https://fscluster.org/sites/default/file... ^,2020. Marchisio M. The potential impact of COVID-19 on SDG 2 (food security) - in China and globally. International Fund for Agricultural Development. https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/blog/asset/41828816 (acessado em 13/Mar/2020).
https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/blog/... . The ways governments and institutions respond politically to the pandemic can have profound implications for guaranteeing the HRAF. Political responses through actions with no linkage between various government sectors and little basis in scientific data can exacerbate the pandemic’s social, economic, and health impacts ¹⁹19. Global Food Security Cluster. Coronavirus, impact on well-being, health, food access and food security. https://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/covid_19_impact_on_food_security.pdf (acessado em 14/Mai/2020).
https://fscluster.org/sites/default/file... .

The Brazilian Federal Government’s measures in response to the pandemic in the period analyzed here involved the creation of institutional arrangements, as shown in Box 1.

One of the first acts was the establishment of the GEI-ESPII on January 30, 2020, aimed at proposing, monitoring, and linking measures to prepare for and confront public health emergencies ²¹21. Brasil. Decreto nº 10.211, de 30 de janeiro de 2020. Dispõe sobre o Grupo Executivo Interministerial de Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional e Internacional - GEI-ESPII. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 30 jan.^,2222. Brasil. Decreto nº 10.238, de 11 de fevereiro de 2020. Altera o Decreto nº 10.211, de 30 de janeiro de 2020, que dispõe sobre o Grupo Executivo Interministerial de Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional e Internacional - GEI-ESPII. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 12 fev.. A few days later, Brazil declared a Public Health Emergency of National Concern ²³23. Ministério da Saúde. Portaria nº 188, de 3 de fevereiro de 2020. Declara Emergência em Saúde Pública de importância Nacional (ESPIN) em decorrência da Infecção Humana pelo novo Coronavírus (2019-nCoV). Diário Oficial da União 2020; 4 fev.. The Crisis Committee was created more than a month later ²⁴24. Brasil. Decreto nº 10.277, de 16 de março de 2020. Institui o Comitê de Crise para Supervisão e Monitoramento dos Impactos da Covid-19. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 16 mar.. Besides the institutional arrangements, a number of initial actions were taken to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and which can impact food anda nutritional security (Box 2).

Several actions that are arranged systematically in Box 2 will be discussed in this section.

Promotion of universal access to healthy and adequate food, with priority for families and persons in situations of food and nutritional insecurity

The emergency assistance establishes exceptional social protection measures for informal workers, individual micro-entrepreneurs, self-employed, and unemployed Brazilians ²⁵25. Brasil. Lei nº 13.982, de 2 de abril de 2020. Altera a Lei nº 8.742, de 7 de dezembro de 1993, para dispor sobre parâmetros adicionais de caracterização da situação de vulnerabilidade social para fins de elegibilidade ao Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC), e estabelece medidas excepcionais de proteção social a serem adotadas durante o período de enfrentamento da Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Internacional decorrente do Coronavírus (Covid-19) responsável pelo surto de 2019, a que se refere a Lei nº 13.979, de 6 de fevereiro de 2020. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 2 abr.. Emergency aid in the amount of BRL 200.00 (USD 40.00) was proposed initially, but after negotiations involving political groups and a vote in the Chamber of Deputies, the amount was tripled, for three months ²⁶26. Sampaio C. Câmara aprova auxílio de R$ 600 que pode beneficiar 24 milhões de informais. Brasil de Fato 2020; 26 mar. https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2020/03/26/camara-aprova-auxilio-de-r-600-para-trabalhadores-informais-durante-crise.
https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2020/03/... . On June 30, 2020, President Jair Bolsonaro issued Decree n. 10,412, extending the emergency aid for two more month ²⁷27. Brasil. Decreto nº 10.412, de 30 de junho de 2020. Altera o Decreto nº 10.316, de 7 de abril de 2020, para prorrogar o período de pagamento do auxílio emergencial de que trata a Lei nº 13.982, de 2 de abril de 2020. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 1 jul.. Beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program can receive the emergency assistance as long as it is more advantageous, and during this period Bolsa Família will be suspended, despite targeting families in situations of greater social vulnerability.

Countries all around the globe have adopted direct income transfers in response to the economic crisis ²⁸28. Tomazelli I, Fernandes A. Transferência de renda é adotada em 30 países. UOL Economia 2020; 24 mar. https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/estadao-conteudo/2020/03/24/transferencia-de-renda-e-adotada-em-30-paises.htm.
https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/est... , which has huge implications for food and nutritional security, for example for persons that work as informal laborers or in services, restaurants, and retail. These workers may face loss of jobs either through social distancing or economic downturn. Although farmers have a demand for their production, interruptions in the food chains and farm produce markets can alter farming families’ means of subsistence, as well as the production and availability of foods. These situations have direct implications for people’s access to food and water ¹⁵15. Committee on World Food Security. Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN). Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020..

This context calls attention to the Presidential veto against expanding the aid to include workers that are not included in the Federal Government’s Single Registry for Social Programs ²⁹29. Câmara dos Deputados. Projeto de Lei nº 873, de 2020. https://www25.senado.leg.br/web/atividade/materias/-/materia/141614 (acessado em 08/Abr/2020).
https://www25.senado.leg.br/web/atividad... . The veto increases the risk of food and nutritional insecurity and hunger in groups historically excluded from the perspective of the right to food. Meanwhile, the Federal Government approved the assistance for mothers under 18 years of age ²⁹29. Câmara dos Deputados. Projeto de Lei nº 873, de 2020. https://www25.senado.leg.br/web/atividade/materias/-/materia/141614 (acessado em 08/Abr/2020).
https://www25.senado.leg.br/web/atividad... ^,3030. Bolsonaro sanciona com vetos ampliação do auxílio emergencial de R$600. UOL Economia 2020; 15 mai. https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/reuters/2020/05/15/bolsonaro-sanciona-com-vetos-ampliacao-do-auxilio-emergencial-de-r600.htm.
https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/reu... ^,3131. Presidência da República. Despachos do Presidente da República. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 15 mai.. The veto against family farmers condemns part of this rural population to precarious living conditions and further jeopardizes the food supply ³²32. Menezes F, Burity V. O novo veto do Capitão da Fome. Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil 2020; 22 mai. https://diplomatique.org.br/o-novo-veto-do-capitao-fome/.
https://diplomatique.org.br/o-novo-veto-... .

The emergency aid was soon nicknamed the “corona voucher” by the Brazilian populace, giving it a pejorative connotation, as something perishable and stigmatizing, not from the perspective of a citizen’s right and the duty of the State beyond an emergency stipend for the more vulnerable ³³33. Pichonelli M. Por que você não deve falar "coronavoucher" e estigmatizar mais as pessoas. UOL 2020; 3 abr. https://www.uol.com.br/ecoa/ultimas-noticias/2020/04/03/por-que-voce-nao-deve-falar-coronavoucher-e-estigmatizar-mais-as-pessoas.htm.
https://www.uol.com.br/ecoa/ultimas-noti... . Daily news stories tell of problems in the process of guaranteeing this right, with long lines of people trying to withdraw the emergency aid at the offices of the Caixa Econômica Federal (the Federal Savings and Loan Bank), when such crowding is contrary to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines ³⁴34. Marchesan R. Centralizar auxílio de R$ 600 na Caixa criou fila e atraso, dizem analistas. UOL Economia 2020; 6 mai. https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2020/05/06/auxilio-emergencial-problemas-pagamento-caixa.htm.
https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/red... ^,3535. Agência Brasil. Cerca de 20 milhões de pessoas sem conta já sacaram o auxílio emergencial. UOL Economia 2020; 8 mai. https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2020/05/08/cerca-de-20-milhoes-de-pessoas-sem-conta-ja-sacaram-o-auxilio-emergencial.htm.
https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/red... . Thus, the pandemic reveals and amplifies Brazil’s existing inequalities and the need to create universal basic income policies.

The study also identified the advance authorization of emergency aid to persons who applied for the Noncontributory Regular Pension (BPC in Portuguese) and changes in the management of the Bolsa Família Program, aimed at avoiding crowding of people applying for changes and inclusions in the registries ³⁶36. Ministério da Cidadania. Portaria nº 387, de 15 de maio de 2020. Altera a Portaria nº 335, de 20 de março de 2020, para acrescentar medidas emergenciais na gestão do Programa Bolsa Família, criado pela Lei nº 10.836, de 9 de janeiro de 2004, e do Cadastro Único para Programas Sociais do Governo Federal, regulamentado pelo Decreto nº 6.135, de 26 de junho de 2007, em decorrência da Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 18 mai.. The programs’ expansion is suggested in the document by the FBSSAN ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... , in order to augment families’ income and allow access to food. According to Burlandy ³⁷37. Burlandy L. Transferência condicionada de renda e segurança alimentar e nutricional. Ciênc Saúde Colet 2007; 12:1441-51., income transfer programs can impact the beneficiaries’ nutritional wellbeing and enable the purchase of non-food items such as the purchase of household appliances and utensils that allow storing and processing foods at home. Despite the positive effects of the Bolsa Família Program ³⁸38. Rasella D, Aquino R, Santos CAT, Sousa Paes R, Barreto ML. Effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on childhood mortality: a nationwide analysis of Brazilian municipalities. Lancet 2013; 382:57-64.^,3939. Martins AMBB. Avaliação dos impactos de políticas públicas de transferência de renda na qualidade de vida no semiárido nordestino face às mudanças climáticas [Tese de Doutorado]. São Paulo: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo; 2016., Brazil’s current Administration has preferred to search for irregularities ad cancel benefits based on the cross-analysis of databases ⁴⁰40. Santarelli M, David G, Burity V, Rocha NZ. Informe Dhana 2019: autoritarismo, negação de direitos e fome. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2019.^,4141. Santarelli M, Burity V, Silva LNB, Prates L, Rizzolo A, Rocha NC. Da democratização ao golpe: avanços e retrocessos na garantia do direito humano à alimentação e à nutrição adequadas no Brasil. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2017.. In 2020, the budget for the Bolsa Família Program was BRL 29.5 billion (USD 7.3 billion), less than the BRL 32 billion (USD 8.4 billion) earmarked for the program in 2019 ⁴². Such measures directly affect Brazil most vulnerable population groups in terms of access to income and can exacerbate the pandemic’s effects on food and nutritional security.

The design of the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE) did not provide for the exceptional situation of a health emergency. With schools closed, students were left unassisted and the program’s purchase of produce from family farming was compromised. Thus, Law n. 13,987 was passed, determining that the Brazilian National Fund for the Development of Education (FNDE) should maintain the transfer of funds to states and municipalities, authorizing their use for purchase of foods and distribution to the students’ parents or guardians, maintaining the requirement of purchases from family farming ⁴³43. Brasil. Lei nº 13.987, de 7 de abril de 2020. Altera a Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009, para autorizar, em caráter excepcional, durante o período de suspensão das aulas em razão de situação de emergência ou calamidade pública, a distribuição de gêneros alimentícios adquiridos com recursos do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) aos pais ou responsáveis dos estudantes das escolas públicas de educação básica. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 7 abr.^,4444. Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento; Ministério da Educação. Orientações para a execução do PNAE durante a situação de emergência decorrente da pandemia do Coronavírus (covid-19). Brasília: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento/Ministério da Educação; 2020.. These Federal funds cannot be used for direct income transfers to the families or to cover the administrative costs of food distribution.

Mismatches have been occurring in the law’s enforcement in the local contexts, and some states and municipalities are not even employed strategies to guarantee this right ⁴⁵45. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Alimentação escolar: defender o direito à alimentação em tempos de pandemia. Facebook Watch. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=613355662605041&ref=watch_permalink (acessado em 22/Mai/2020).
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=6... ^,4646. Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Ação Civil Pública. Processo 0093472-52.2020.8.19.0001. http://www.mprj.mp.br/documents/20184/540394/deciso_acp_alimentao_escolar__rio_de_janeiro__proibio_da_abertura_de_escolas.pdf (acessado em 01/Jul/2020).
http://www.mprj.mp.br/documents/20184/54... . Considering that the purchase of family farm produce for the PNAE represents a virtuous convergence of public policies, the foods supplied to the students’ families should comply with this rule ⁴⁷47. Valadares AA, Alves F, Galiza M, Silva SP. Agricultura familiar e abastecimento alimentar no contexto do Covid-19: uma abordagem das ações públicas emergenciais. Brasília: Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada; 2020. (Nota Técnica, 69).. Valadares et al. ⁴⁷47. Valadares AA, Alves F, Galiza M, Silva SP. Agricultura familiar e abastecimento alimentar no contexto do Covid-19: uma abordagem das ações públicas emergenciais. Brasília: Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada; 2020. (Nota Técnica, 69). suggest that given the need for states and municipalities to adjust their food distribution logistics, the FNDE should consider increasing the funds, since the increasing cost of executing the program due to the necessary adjustments during the pandemic could compromise the program’s continuity in a context of budget constraints. The documents consulted in preparing this article emphasize the need for continuity of the PNAE, highlighting the program’s role in guaranteeing the Human Right to Adequate Food, especially during the pandemic ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... ^,1313. Cullen MT. Coronavirus food supply chain under strain. What to do? Food systems transformation. Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.^,1414. FIAN Internacional. Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Right to Food and Nutrition. Preliminary monitoring report. https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-the-news/covid-19/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-... .

Emergency Federal Government funding was authorized with the purpose of increasing the response capacity by the Brazilian Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS in Portuguese) in assisting families and individuals in situations of vulnerability and social risk due to COVID-19, promoting food purchases with priority for foods high in protein for elderly persons and persons with disability assisted at the Service for Institutional Assistance and the Service for Special Social Protection for Persons with Disability, Elderly, and their Families ⁴⁸48. Ministério da Cidadania. Portaria nº 369, de 29 de abril de 2020. Dispõe acerca do atendimento do Cadastro Único para Programas Sociais do Governo Federal - Cadastro Único, disposto pelo Decreto nº 6.135, de 26 de junho de 2007, no Distrito Federal e nos municípios que estejam em estado de calamidade pública ou em situação de emergência reconhecidos pelos governos estadual, municipal, do Distrito Federal ou Federal, inclusive a Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Internacional declarada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, em 30 de janeiro de 2020, em decorrência da Infecção Humana pelo novo Coronavírus (COVID-19). Diário Oficial da União2020; 30 abr.. Another emergency transfer of Federal funds was also authorized for the operationalization of measures to increase food and nutritional securitu for users of the SUAS ⁴⁹49. Ministério da Cidadania. Portaria nº 385, de 13 de maio de 2020. Dispõe sobre repasse emergencial de recursos federais para a operacionalização de ações de incremento à segurança alimentar e nutricional aos usuários do Sistema Único de Assistência Social - SUAS, no âmbito da União, dos estados, Distrito Federal e municípios devido à situação de Emergência em Saúde Pública de Nacional - ESPIN, em decorrência de infecção humana pelo novo Coronavírus, Covid-19.Diário Oficial da União2020; 14 mai.. Despite the lack of clarity on the use of these funds, the Ministry of Citizenship states that it is intended to serve vulnerable families and individuals. According to Santarelli et al. ⁴⁰40. Santarelli M, David G, Burity V, Rocha NZ. Informe Dhana 2019: autoritarismo, negação de direitos e fome. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2019., since the Temer Administration and increasingly under Bolsonaro, there has been a constant cutback in programs for food anda nutritional security. The network of public infrastructure for food and nutritional security is no longer a priority for the current Federal Government, which is not issuing calls for bids for decentralization of funds to the states and municipalities (which have shut down their services as a result). There was also a budget cut in the food baskets program.

Promotion of food supply and structuring of sustainable and decentralized systems based on agroecology for the production, extraction, processing, and distribution of foods

The Executive Orders that have been issued ⁵⁰50. Brasil. Medida Provisória nº 924, de 13 de março de 2020. Abre crédito extraordinário, em favor dos Ministérios da Educação e da Saúde, no valor de R$ 5.099.795.979,00, para os fins que especifica. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 13 mar.^,5151. Brasil. Medida Provisória nº 940, de 2 de abril de 2020. Abre crédito extraordinário, em favor do Ministério da Saúde, no valor de R$ 9.444.373.172,00, para os fins que especifica.Diário Oficial da União 2020; 2 abr.^,5252. Brasil. Medida Provisória nº 941, de 2 de abril de 2020. Abre crédito extraordinário, em favor dos Ministérios da Educação, da Saúde e da Cidadania, no valor de R$ 2.113.789.466,00, para os fins que especifica. Diário Oficial da União2020; 2 abr.^,5353. Brasil. Medida Provisória nº 957, de 24 de abril de 2020. Abre crédito extraordinário, em favor do Ministério da Cidadania, no valor de R$ 500.000.000,00, para o fim que especifica. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 27 abr. include n. 957 of March 2020, which establishes special credit in the amount BRL 500 million (USD 110 million) for the purchase of family farm produce by the Food Purchases Program (PAA in Portuguese) ⁵³53. Brasil. Medida Provisória nº 957, de 24 de abril de 2020. Abre crédito extraordinário, em favor do Ministério da Cidadania, no valor de R$ 500.000.000,00, para o fim que especifica. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 27 abr.. According to the Ministry of Citizenship, 85,000 farm families will be benefited, in addition to 12,500 organizations and 11 million socially vulnerable families that will receive the food ⁵⁴54. Secretaria Especial do Desenvolvimento Social, Ministério da Cidadania. Programa de aquisição de alimentos recebe crédito extra de R$ 500 milhões. http://desenvolvimentosocial.gov.br/imprensa/Noticias/programa-de-aquisicao-de-alimentos-recebe-credito-extra-de-r-500-milhoes (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
http://desenvolvimentosocial.gov.br/impr... . The authorization of credit for the PAA comes after intense mobilization by organized civil society, which identified the need for immediate funding in the amount of 1 billion BRL (USD 220 million) for the program ⁵⁵55. Geitens JF. Após pressão por MP, sociedade civil cobra execução de programa alimentar durante a pandemia. O Joio e o Trigo 2020; 30 abr. https://outraspalavras.net/ojoioeotrigo/2020/04/apos-pressao-por-medida-provisoria-sociedade-civil-cobra-execucao-de-programa-de-alimentos-durante-a-pandemia/.
https://outraspalavras.net/ojoioeotrigo/... .

The pandemic has clearly revealed the budget and institutional dismantlement of programs for food and nutritional security. Examples include the dismantlement of the Brazilian Ministry of Agrarian Development by the Temer government, followed by Bolsonaro’s extinction of the National Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SESAN in Portuguese), which was the strategic agency for inter-sector coordination of the PNSAN and decentralization of the Brazilian National System for Food and Nutritional Security (SISAN in Portuguese), as well as administrative changes and budget cuts in key programs like the PAA ⁴⁰40. Santarelli M, David G, Burity V, Rocha NZ. Informe Dhana 2019: autoritarismo, negação de direitos e fome. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2019..

According to Valadares et al. ⁴⁷47. Valadares AA, Alves F, Galiza M, Silva SP. Agricultura familiar e abastecimento alimentar no contexto do Covid-19: uma abordagem das ações públicas emergenciais. Brasília: Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada; 2020. (Nota Técnica, 69). (p. 7), the budget cuts “make it practically impossible for small farmers to count on the ‘market’ solution to survive economically”, when such solutions may cause production losses and farmers’ indebtedness, thereby jeopardizing the food supply. The authors further state that the resumption of the PAA should prioritize the modality of purchases with donation of foods, associated with the distribution of food baskets and the supply to the social assistance network. Thus, although funds were transferred to the program, it is uncertain whether this measure will be sufficient, given the dismantlement of the PAA and of the Brazilian National Supply Company (CONAB in Portuguese), since the government agricultural stockpiles were eliminated under the Bolsonaro Administration ⁵⁶56. Matioli V, Peres J. Coronavírus: Brasil não tem estoque de alimentos para enfrentar desabastecimento. O Joio e o Trigo 2020; 26 mar. https://outraspalavras.net/ojoioeotrigo/2020/03/coronavirus-brasil-nao-tem-estoque-de-alimentos-para-enfrentar-desabastecimento/.
https://outraspalavras.net/ojoioeotrigo/... . According to Menezes & Burity ³²32. Menezes F, Burity V. O novo veto do Capitão da Fome. Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil 2020; 22 mai. https://diplomatique.org.br/o-novo-veto-do-capitao-fome/.
https://diplomatique.org.br/o-novo-veto-... , the measures in the PNAE and PAA were insufficient to serve the farmers that should have been benefited.

Resolution n. 4,810 provides for emergency farm loan procedures ⁵⁷57. Banco Central do Brasil. Resolução nº 4.810, de 30 de abril de 2020. Estabelece medidas de caráter emergencial para os procedimentos relativos à concessão, ao controle e à fiscalização das operações de crédito rural em decorrência das medidas de distanciamento social adotadas para mitigar os impactos da pandemia provocada pela Covid-19. Diário Oficial da União2020; 5 mai.. Maluf ¹⁷17. Maluf R. Comer em tempos de pandemia e após. Jornal GGN 2020; 3 abr. https://jornalggn.com.br/a-grande-crise/comer-em-tempos-de-pandemia-e-apos-por-renato-s-maluf/. highlights the need to create an emergency credit line for farmers, with subsidized interest rates. Strengthening and promoting family farming are considered essential for ensuring that small farmers will have support networks to maintain their capacity to produce and supply food crops ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... ^,1313. Cullen MT. Coronavirus food supply chain under strain. What to do? Food systems transformation. Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.^,1414. FIAN Internacional. Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Right to Food and Nutrition. Preliminary monitoring report. https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-the-news/covid-19/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-... .

Brazil’s agribusiness sector continues to grow and is considered essential by the government for economic recovery ⁵⁸58. Sardinha E. Agronegócio ignora crise e cresce mesmo com a pandemia de covid-19. Congresso em Foco 2020; 28 abr. https://congressoemfoco.uol.com.br/economia/agronegocio-ignora-crise-e-cresce-mesmo-com-pandemia-de-covid-19/.
https://congressoemfoco.uol.com.br/econo... . Two news items in the bulletins stand out in the context. The first is a videoconference by the Minister of Agriculture with “agricultural attachés”, a position related to the expansion of agribusiness and crisis management, seeking to sell a positive image of Brazil as an international food supplier, which shows the concern and focus on the impact of the crisis on Brazilian agribusiness. The second news item emphasizes the concern over the drop in beef prices from February to March this year, followed by Normative Instruction n. 29⁵⁹59. Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. Instrução Normativa nº 29, de 23 de abril de 2020. Estabelece os requisitos para o livre comércio de produtos de origem animal, inspecionados por consórcio público de Municípios. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 24 abr., which facilitates trade in animal products, inspected by a public consortium of municipalities. Importantly, the Federal Government continues to authorize the release and marketing of new pesticides: in May, 22 more substances were authorized, totaling 150 new authorizations this year alone ⁶⁰60. Sudré L. Mesmo com pandemia, governo Bolsonaro já liberou 150 novos agrotóxicos este ano. Brasil de Fato 2020; 13 mai. https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2020/05/13/mesmo-com-pandemia-governo-bolsonaro-ja-liberou-150-novos-agrotoxicos-este-ano.
https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2020/05/... . Until recently, Brazil was an international reference in family farming policies, while it now adopts a rural development model with record authorizations of pesticides, posing serious threats to the country’s food sovereignty ⁴⁰40. Santarelli M, David G, Burity V, Rocha NZ. Informe Dhana 2019: autoritarismo, negação de direitos e fome. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2019.^,4141. Santarelli M, Burity V, Silva LNB, Prates L, Rizzolo A, Rocha NC. Da democratização ao golpe: avanços e retrocessos na garantia do direito humano à alimentação e à nutrição adequadas no Brasil. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2017.^,6161. Sudré L. Liberação de agrotóxicos no governo Bolsonaro é a maior dos últimos 14 anos. Brasil de Fato 2019; 27 nov. https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2019/11/27/liberacao-de-agrotoxicos-no-governo-bolsonaro-e-a-maior-dos-ultimos-14-anos.
https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2019/11/... ^,6262. Oliveira L, Tooge R. Número de agrotóxicos registrados em 2019 é o maior da série histórica; 94,5% são genéricos, diz governo. G1 2019; 28 dez. https://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegocios/noticia/2019/12/28/numero-de-agrotoxicos-registrados-em-2019-e-o-maior-da-serie-historica-945percent-sao-genericos-diz-governo.ghtml.
https://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegoci... .

Changes were identified in the rules of the Harvest Guarantee (Garantia-Safra) for verification of crop losses due to drought and for advance payment by this program ⁶³63. Secretaria de Política Agrícola, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. Portaria nº 11, de 6 de abril de 2020. Diário Oficial da União 2020; 8 abr.. These measures are specific to Brazil’s semiarid region (which suffers frequent droughts) and help mitigate the negative effects of this natural disaster ⁶⁴64. Silva NGA, Souza JPOD. Seguro Safra para o semi-árido cearense. In: 46º Congresso Sociedade Brasileira de Economia, Administração e Sociologia Rural. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/133290/ (acessado em 26/Mai/2020).
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/1332... . The intervention itself does not change the conditions of poverty and historical inequality in the semiarid region and needs to be combined with other policies to guarantee human rights, including access to food, water, and land.

Establishment of permanent processes of food and nutritional education, research, and training in food and nutritional security and the human right to adequate food

A document was identified that was organized by the General Division of Food and Nutrition (CGAN in Portuguese) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, with recommendations on food and COVID-19 ⁶⁵65. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Secretaria de Atenção Primária à Saúde, Ministério da Saúde. Recomendações de alimentação e COVID-19. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2020.. Importantly, the pandemic and social distancing affect individuals differently, with different determinants of food and nutritional security. One issue that can cause food and nutritional insecurity is the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods ⁶⁶66. Departamento de Atenção Básica, Secretaria de Atenção Básica, Ministério da Saúde. Guia alimentar para a população brasileira. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2014.^,6767. Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. 8ª Webinar: Insegurança Alimentar e Nutricional em tempos de Covid-19. Vídeo; 2:20min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhZejewNlz4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhZejewN... , for example, due to the difficulty in access to fresh foods, lack of cooking skills, or the uneven sexual division of household labor, particularly affecting women, who can become more dependent on such products in a new scenario of domestic chores. Part of this agenda can be the target of food and nutritional education, aimed at supporting individuals in the development of cooking skills. According to documents by the CFS e and the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), COVID-19 will influence food and nutritional patterns and various forms of malnutrition. Persons will tend to consume more ultra-processed foods as the result of interruptions in the supply chain and panic in food purchases. They may also reduce their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and greens, less available in conventional food chains ¹⁵15. Committee on World Food Security. Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN). Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.^,1818. The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems. COVID-19 and the crisis in food systems: symptoms, causes, and potential solutions. Bruxelas: The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems; 2020.. A study in Brazil by Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA in Portuguese) points to another pattern in vegetable consumers’ behavior. For most interviewees (72.5%), vegetables were available for purchase, in the period prior to the pandemic and social distancing. However, this situation varies according to family income and region of the country, where individuals with higher earnings and those in South and Southeast Brazil have greater access to vegetables ⁶⁸68. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária. Consumo de hortaliças na quarentena. https://www.embrapa.br/hortalicas/pesquisa-consumo-covid19 (acessado em 30/Jun/2020).
https://www.embrapa.br/hortalicas/pesqui... .

Promotion, universalization, and coordination of food and nutritional security measures targeted to quilombola communities and other traditional peoples and communities, indigenous peoples, and land reform settlements

The donation of food baskets has been adopted, especially for Roma, indigenous, and river-dwelling communities and fishing villages. Initiatives were also identified with the distribution of food and water to families in situations of vulnerability. Despite the lack of clarity in the information in bulletins and homepages of various government ministries, we identified announcements of public purchases of staple foods such as pasta, powdered milk, beans, flour, soybean oil, manioc flour, cornflakes, corn meal, and rice, all for the Brazilian Ministry for Women, Family, and Human Rights for distribution of food baskets to traditional communities, and operationalized by CONAB. We found no mention of the supply of fruits, vegetables, and greens or produce from family farming.

Gaps in action by the Federal Government

The systematic analysis of the actions based on the guidelines of the PNSAN allowed identifying gaps. No actions were identified for the right to water, especially the One Million Cisterns Program (P1MC in Portuguese), which has suffered a drastic budget cut since the Temer Administration. The program’s disconnection and weakening resulting from budget cuts and the reduction in the number of cisterns, affect access to water both for human consumption and farm production ⁴⁰40. Santarelli M, David G, Burity V, Rocha NZ. Informe Dhana 2019: autoritarismo, negação de direitos e fome. Brasília: FIAN Brasil; 2019.^,6969. Santos TA. Dilemas políticos para o semiárido brasileiro: um breve panorama até a crise do Lulismo. NERA: Revista Núcleo de Estudos, Pesquisas e Projetos de Reforma Agrária 2019; 22:170-94.. Guaranteed access to safe water was identified as a central issue in the documents analyzed here ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... ^,1414. FIAN Internacional. Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Right to Food and Nutrition. Preliminary monitoring report. https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-the-news/covid-19/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-... .

As for the guideline providing for dialogue with the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS in Portuguese), we identified the publication of Memorandum n. 3, with recommendations by the CGAN to the State Health Departments aimed at contributing to health and food and nutritional security in the context of the pandemic ⁷⁰70. Coordenação Geral de Alimentação e Nutrição, Departamento de Promoção da Saúde, Secretaria de Atenção Primária à Saúde, Ministério da Saúde. Ofício Circular nº 3/2020/CGAN/DEPROS/SAPS/MS. Solicitação de apoio logíscotico para execução da pesquisa intulada Evolução da Prevalência de Infecção por Covid-19 no Brasil: estudo de base populacional. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2020.. Recent measures may compromise nutritional care: the new financing model for basic healthcare ⁷¹71. Ministério da Saúde. Portaria nº 2.979, de 12 de novembro de 2019. Institui o Programa Previne Brasil, que estabelece novo modelo de financiamento de custeio da Atenção Primária à Saúde no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde, por meio da alteração da Portaria de Consolidação nº 6/GM/MS, de 28 de setembro de 2017. Diário Oficial da União2019; 13 nov.; the repeal of provisions establishing the parameters and budgeting of the Expanded Center for Family Health and the lack of accreditation of new teams by the Brazilian Ministry da Health ⁷²72. Departamento de Saúde da Família, Secretaria de Atenção Primária à Saúde, Ministério da Saúde. Nota Técnica nº 3/2020-DESF/SAPS/MS. Núcleo Ampliado de Saúde da Família e Atenção Básica (NASF-AB) e Programa Previne Brasil. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2020.; and already during the pandemic, the establishment of the Agency for the Development of Primary Healthcare ⁷³73. Brasil. Decreto nº 10.283, de 20 de março de 2020. Institui o Serviço Social Autônomo denominado Agência para o Desenvolvimento da Atenção Primária à Saúde - Adaps.Diário Oficial da União2020; 20 mar., in the form of a legally incorporated nonprofit organization, which has been identified as having a legal structure similar to that of the so-called “social organizations” ⁷⁴74. Associação Brasileira de Nutrição. Criação da ADAPS: ataque ao SUS em meio à crise do Coronavírus. https://asbran.org.br/noticias/criacao-da-adaps-ataque-ao-sus-em-meio-a-crise-do-coronavirus (acessado em 23/Mar/2020).
https://asbran.org.br/noticias/criacao-d... .

There was a clear lack of actions to monitor the HRAF. The documents used as the theoretical reference ¹⁴14. FIAN Internacional. Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Right to Food and Nutrition. Preliminary monitoring report. https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-the-news/covid-19/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://hilalelver.org/category/food-in-... ^,1515. Committee on World Food Security. Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN). Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020. point to the importance of governments collecting and sharing data, as well as supporting studies on the impact on food systems, the guarantee of food and nutritional security, and measures to contain the impacts on the HRAF. The institutional setbacks and budget cuts in the food and nutritional security agenda ⁷⁵75. Câmara Interministerial de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Plano Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional: 2012/2015. Brasília: Câmara Interministerial de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional; 2011.^,7676. Câmara Interministerial de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Plano Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (PLANSAN-2016-2019). Brasília: Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Agrário; 2017., already identified during the pre-pandemic period and not reversed during the current health crisis, were also expressed in the extinction of the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security (CONSEA in Portuguese), as one of the first acts by the current Federal Administration, when this agency’s mission was to propose guidelines to ensure HRAF ⁷⁷77. Castro IRR. A extinção do Conselho Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional e a agenda de alimentação e nutrição. Cad Saúde Pública 2019; 35:e00009919.; the inoperability of the Inter-Ministerial Chamber for Food and Nutritional Security (CAISAN in Portuguese); failure to hold the 6th National Conference on Food and Nutritional Security; and the lack of the III National Plan on Food and Nutritional Security (PLANSAN in Portuguese), which defines the planning and execution of the PNSAN. All these measures jeopardized monitoring of violations of the HRAF in the context of the pandemic by the Federal Government, whose institutional arrangements proposed thus far failed to guarantee or were not meant to monitor the HRAF. Further in relating to guaranteeing and monitoring the HRAF, Ruling n. 683 of March 19, 2020, provides on the establishment of a technical committee to draft initiatives for the promotion and defense of human rights during the pandemic. However, no institutional mechanism in the ruling is directly responsible for the HRAF ⁷⁸78. Ministério da Mulher, da Família e dos Direitos Humanos. Portaria nº 683, de 19 de março de 2020. Dispõe sobre a instituição de comitê técnico para elaboração de iniciativas de promoção e defesa dos Direitos Humanos, considerando a situação de emergência de saúde pública de importância internacional decorrente do Coronavírus (COVID-19).Diário Oficial da União 2020; 20 mar..

This scenario of setbacks, including a freeze of social expenditures and social security and labor legislation reforms, is bound to affect access to food by poor Brazilians, placing Brazil back on the FAO Hunger Map ⁷⁹79. Grupo de Trabalho da Sociedade Civil para Agenda 2030. Relatório luz da Agenda 2030 de desenvolvimento sustentável: síntese. http://actionaid.org.br/wp-content/files_mf/1499785232Relatorio_sintese_v2_23jun.pdf (acessado em 02/Mai/2020).
http://actionaid.org.br/wp-content/files... . This situation - linked to the current pandemic - will make the 2030 Agenda even more challenging. No mention was identified of repealing Constitutional Amendment n. 95⁸⁰80. Brasil. Emenda Constitucional nº 95, de 15 de dezembro de 2016. Altera o Ato das Disposições Constitucionais Transitórias, para instituir o Novo Regime Fiscal, e dá outras providências.Diário Oficial da União2016; 15 dez., the so-called “ceiling on expenditures”, which affects primary spending. Such a repeal of the budget freeze on social spending is identified in the FBSSAN document ¹⁰10. Fórum Brasileiro de Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. Garantir o direito à alimentação e combater a fome em tempos de coronavírus. Aliança pela Alimentação Adequada e Saudável. https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garantir-o-direito-a-alimentacao-e-combater-a-fome-em-tempos-de-coronavirus/6243/ (acessado em 28/Abr/2020).
https://alimentacaosaudavel.org.br/garan... as strategic for confronting the pandemic’s consequences.

The study’s limitations include difficulty in accessing detailed information on the actions in the Bulletins and homepages of the various government ministries, since the information was presented in very abridged form, which can limit the analysis of the measures’ potentialities and difficulties.

Final remarks

Some brief remarks are in order on the Brazilian Federal Government’s capacity to respond to COVID-19 and the setbacks in recent years. The first refers to the capacity for emergency responses to the pandemic with what was left of the SISAN after so much undermining and dismantlement, in addition to budget cuts. Would the authorization of emergency credit lines be capable of reversing this scenario? Given the extinction of the CONSEA and the inoperability of the CAISAN, another issue is to organize action and monitor the pandemic’s impacts on food and nutritional security in an organized way. A further challenge lies in civil society’s participation in planning and monitoring the HRAF, which is currently limited to the possibility of financial transfers at the Federal government level. The idea here is not to exhaust the discussion on the setbacks, but to emphasize that the inter-sector perspective and involvement by different institutional actors and civil society (aspects so central to the consolidation of SISAN) have been intentionally dismantled.

Actions proposed thus far by the Brazilian Federal Government to mitigate COVID-19’s effects lie in emergency measures focused mainly on access to income and foods. However, the guarantee of the HRAF and the attainment of food and nutritional security require not only inter-sector linkage and coordinated emergency measures aimed at attenuating the effects of crises, but medium and long-term measures that can effectively guarantee the Constitutional right to food. The population’s feeling of insecurity towards uncertainties during the pandemic is exacerbated by the country’s on-going political crisis, besides the contradictory orientation emanating from the Executive Branch.

It is curious, to say the least, that the current official discourse against social distancing, claiming a possible increase in hunger in Brazil, appears in an Administration which just months ago denied that hunger even existed in the country. While the food and nutritional security agenda had been strengthened in Brazil in the last 15 years, in the last three it has been dismantled with the extinction of the CONSEA and other setbacks, such as the elimination of policies to incentivize family farming, access to water, and food supply, directly affecting the attainment of food and nutritional security and HRAF.

Finally, this moment of pandemic focuses attention on Brazil largest problem, namely social inequalities. These exacerbate the effects of COVID-19 on the population’s living conditions. It is thus necessary to conceive, discuss, and draft national public policies based on the economy and social protection, but which are linked to the guidelines of the PNSAN from the perspective of the HRAF.

References

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