Food security and basic human needs in Brazil

Paulo Mitchell, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)
Lavinia Pessanha, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)
Israel Souza, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)

Food Security (FS) is an indispensable policy-orientation principle to the fulfillment of the human rights to alimentation, thus, it is much more than guaranteeing adequate nutrition under the merely biologic point of view. This comprehension comes from the understanding that food is one of the satisfiers of the basic human needs (BHN), which will result in essential conditions to the rights of all to have a meaningful live. Therefore, the paper traces a picture of FS, as well as its relations with the BHN and other socio-economic indicators, in Brazil. This study is based on one of the methods recommended by FAO for the evaluation of FS, utilized in the PNAD 2004 - Feeding Security Supplement, an innovative experience on quality of life, and the database used in the study.