Hunger, malnutrition, and poverty present distinct nature, magnitude and trends in Brazil and therefore require distinct solutions in terms of scale, investments and contents. Public actions to the combat of poverty deserve high priority and justify great investments and should essentially aim at the income increase of the poor. Actions resulting in higher economic growth with better wealth distribution that are conducive to national economy reactivation, creation of jobs and acceleration of land reform are seen as consensual measures in Brazil. More recently, the same consensus seems to exist regarding direct governmental cash transfer the poorest families provided that the family keeps the children at schools ("bolsa-escola") or attends preventive care clinics ("bolsa alimentação"). Successful actions to combat poverty will foster the struggle against malnutrition. However, both national and international experiences show that investments in education, sanitation and primary health care are essential especially for the eradication of child malnutrition. The fight against resilient hunger will also benefit from the combat against poverty. Nevertheless, the evidence indicate that specific actions to fight hunger, particularly actions food distribution - directly through cash credits of food coupons - should be employed in Brazil in a limited way and only under exceptional and justifiable conditions. The uncontrolled expansion of food distribution actions in Brazil perhaps contrary to the commond sense and the justified indignation toward a highly unjust society would imply allocating resources that could be better used in more efficient and justifiable social policies.
hunger; malnutrition; poverty; Brazil
