FISH AND FARINHA: PROTEIN AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN AMAZONIAN RURAL COMMUNITIES ON ITUQUI ISLAND, BRAZIL

Abstract

In order to better understand food consumption among indigenous peasant (the so-called “Caboclos”) communities in Amazonia, this article describes and analyzes household and individual food consumption in the communities of Aracampina and São Benedito, located on ltuqui Island on the lower courses of the Amazon river, in the municipio (county) of Santarém, State of Pará, Brazil. ltuqui Island's landscape is dominated by savannas, meadows, secondary floodplain forests, pastures, and cultivation plots. Food consumption data were collected using 24-hour food recalls for a sample of 12 households and 42 individuals. The main patterns of consumption observed on ltuqui Island were higher consumption of protein than energy, dependency on regional staple foods, and a high reliance on imported secondary food items purchased at local urban centers. Also, interhousehold and community variation point toward a sociohistorical particularism of kindreds, as well as microenvironmental differences, both critical elements in understanding food consumption. Other important findings provide some insights about modifications and adjustment of food repertoires in coping with high seasonality. The simplification of staple-food repertoire and increased consumption of energy-rich items such as sugar and oil are probably the most important strategies observed. We conclude that to understand food consumption among Caboclo communities in Amazonia research should focus more closely on the composition of the local food repertoire and local ecological and sociocultural variations.