Brazil has a 'high probability' of returning to the Hunger Map, says economist from Unicamp.
With the advancement of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic recession, hunger is expected to increase in Brazil. This assessment comes from Walter Belik, economist and professor at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).
Sputnik - Former Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), José Graziano, stated in an interview with UOL that the crisis is expected to cause one billion people worldwide to go hungry.
In a statement on the impact of COVID-19, the FAO states that the severity of the situation will be determined by the size of the economic crisis. In the worst-case scenario, the economic downturn could lead to hunger for 80,3 million people, while the most optimistic scenario speaks of 14,4 million new victims.
In an interview with Sputnik Brazil, Belik says that Brazil is "not prepared" to deal with the situation and that a return to the Hunger Map is a "highly probable" event. Compiled by the FAO, the Hunger Map is a list of countries where 5% or more of the population consumes fewer daily calories than recommended.
"Look, we have the right tools to solve this problem; our public policies have allowed the population access to the food necessary for their survival. Brazil produces an enormous amount of food; according to statistics, Brazil is the fourth largest food producer in the world. However, the problem is income for these people to consume it," says the economist from Unicamp.
Belik also points out that public food policies, such as Bolsa Família and popular restaurants, are in a "very critical situation" and highlight the "significant numbers" of unemployment and precarious work. Brazil has 12,85 million unemployed and 36,8 million people in the informal sector. Without formal employment contracts and labor rights, informal workers are more exposed to the effects of social distancing measures imposed by the pandemic.
"Brazil is not prepared to solve this problem; certainly, at-risk groups such as the homeless, indigenous people, and traditional communities are in a much more vulnerable situation than the middle and upper classes who have housing, who can stay home and go two or three months without receiving income," says Belik.