Brazilian Food Banks: Overview and Perspectives

Natalia Tenuta, Thaís Barros, Romero Alves Teixeira and Rômulo Paes-Sousa
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Natalia Tenuta: René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IRR-Fiocruz), Belo Horizonte 30190-002, Brazil
Thaís Barros: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina 39100-000, Brazil
Romero Alves Teixeira: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina 39100-000, Brazil
Rômulo Paes-Sousa: René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IRR-Fiocruz), Belo Horizonte 30190-002, Brazil

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: In recent decades food banks have become a worldwide response to the contradicting the coexistence of food losses and waste, on the one hand, and hunger and food insecurity on the other. In Brazil, food banks had a rapid expansion, becoming the object of public policy on Food and Nutrition Security and of non-profit private institutions. Our study presents an unprecedented overview of all the food banks currently active in the Brazilian territory, discussing their performances and perspectives. We conducted descriptive research, aiming to characterize the number, spatial distribution, performance, and modalities of operation of the Brazilian food banks. We mapped 217 active food banks and they all participated in the study. The results revealed the important capillarity of the food banks, which exist in all 27 Brazilian federative units, but also demonstrate the potential and need for expansion. Most of the Brazilian food banks has commercial establishments as their largest donor partners and have fruits and vegetables as their most donated items. They mostly complement the feeding of families at social risk and children served by social institutions. Food and nutrition education actions are offered by all the studied units to donor partners and beneficiary institutions and families.

Keywords: food banks; food losses and waste; food security; food and nutrition education; Brazil (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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