Isadora Raddatz Tonetto
Translation: Ligia Payão Chizolini
Environmental challenges need the pursuit of sustainable solutions alongside educational practices that promote ecological awareness and lead to the disruption of the hegemonic economic system. In this context, community gardens emerge as a viable alternative to integrate public policies with food and nutritional security under the prism of multidimensional sustainability.
The situation of food insecurity in Brazil heavily depends on public policies aimed at reducing social inequalities and promoting access to safe and nutritious food. According to data from the Rede PENSSAN in 2023, 72.4% of Brazilian households were identified as being food secure, while 4.1% were experiencing severe food insecurity. This demonstrates an improvement over the figures from 2021 and 2022, which is attributed to the implementation of new public policies and the resumption of existing policies that had been inactive (Rede PENSSAN).
In this regard, the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture recently highlighted the importance of developing community gardens as a potential strategy to remove our country from the hunger map, considering the benefits that come from their implementation in providing access to food and reducing inequities in the local context.
In line with the provisions of Decree No. 11,700 of 2023, which established the creation of the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program, objectives were set to ensure access to adequate and healthy food, guaranteeing the food and nutritional security of the urban population, as well as promoting socioeconomic inclusion and income generation. This further demonstrates the importance of community gardens in urban spaces.
These community spaces not only offer healthy and nutritious food but also serve as integrative spaces for learning and the promotion of citizenship. They utilize inactive spaces to foster socioeconomic inclusion and climate resilience in cities. As such, they can be viewed as a sustainable and agroecological alternative that benefits both the environment and human health.
Sustainability is a central principle of community gardens, also known as urban gardens. However, it is not just about growing vegetables; it involves strengthening communities, fostering feelings of belonging, care, love, unity, and, of course, ensuring food security.
Given this context, since food insecurity is a reality for a large part of the Brazilian population, the creation of community gardens directly addresses this issue, aiming to ensure that the most vulnerable communities have access to healthy and sustainable food, respecting the cultural characteristics of each place without compromising the future food system.
References:
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES NATIONAL URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brasília, Sept. 14, 2023. Available at: https://agenciagov.ebc.com.br/noticias/202309/governo-federal-lanca-programa-nacional-de-agricultura-urbana-e-periurbana. Accessed on: July 20, 2024.
MDS AND MDA DEVELOP STRATEGY WITH URBAN GARDENS TO REMOVE BRAZIL FROM THE HUNGER MAP. Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, Brasília, Apr. 20, 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.br/mds/pt-br/noticias-e-conteudos/desenvolvimento-social/noticias-desenvolvimento-social/mds-e-mda-tracam-estrategia-com-hortas-urbanas-para-tirar-o-brasil-do-mapa-da-fome. Accessed on: July 20, 2024.
REDE PENSSAN. VIGISAN, Public Note: IBGE data on food insecurity in Brazil. Apr. 25, 2024. Available at: https://pesquisassan.net.br/nota-publica-dados-do-ibge-sobre-a-inseguranca-alimentar-no-brasil/ Accessed on: July 24, 2024.
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