Household strategies to cope with and prevent food insecurity in Brazil

Abstract

Results of surveys conducted with the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA), which was adapted from the U.S. measure and validated for Brazil in 2004, indicate that income alone does not explain the severity of food insecurity (FI), pointing to other factors interacting at the household (HH) level. This interpretive study employed mixed methods with the objective of elaborating a theoretical framework, grounded in people's experiences with FI at the HH level, to describe the strategies families use to guarantee access to food. It was carried out in two regions of Brazil: São Paulo and Bahia. First, questionnaires were applied in a non‐random manner in low‐income HHs to collect data on food security status, income, and family composition. From these HHs, 40 families were then selected in each region to participate in semi‐structured interviews. Selection criteria included: low income plus low FI; high income with high FI; families with similar composition and income but disparate FI scores. Key dimensions determining families' strategies included: income stability, nature of social support network, and family life stage. Results also point to a marked predictability and homogeneity in dietary changes as FI worsens, constituting a “managed process” that could be translated into quantitative indicators to complement the EBIA. Funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – Brazil.