Food Nutrition Security of Indigenous Children and Women in Brazil

This proposal aims to contribute to guaranteeing the food and nutrition security of vulnerable indigenous children and women in the municipality of Dourados – Mato Grosso do Sul State (MS), and in Alto Solimões region (Alto Solimões River) –Amazonas state, Brazil (AM). The basic strategy devised to achieve this objective involves developing actions to support the qualification and integration of public policies, especially in the fields of health and social development at local level. In Brazil, indigenous communities, particularly women and children, have not fully shared in the improved health and quality of life indicators that have been identified for the population as a whole. Two lines of action will be developed: the first of these is related to promoting access to public programs and services, especially those concerned with health and social promotion, with the aim of reducing cases of malnutrition and the infant mortality rate. The second involves a set of initiatives to promote economic autonomy, the sustainability of production of and access to food, mainly by recognizing the value of local productive systems that rely on and respect the biodiversity and food culture of these peoples, in tune with the ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. These actions, which should produce a positive impact on the food and nutrition security of these groups, will be developed from actions that contribute to qualify public action and empower indigenous communities. Core beneficiaries1 of these actions – which are intended to promote equity and guarantee rights, particularly the Human Right to Adequate Food and the Right to Health - are pregnant women, children and adolescents. As a crosscutting axis, actions will be developed to empower Indigenous Peoples’ communities, leaderships and organizations as well as to build competences in and foster the institutional strengthening of public organizations. All initiatives will be based on the principle of participation and informed action of communities, their leaderships and organizations and public agents. All actions have been defined from priorities set forth in strategic Brazilian government programs and community demands. The project was developed from the perspective of both providing concrete and qualified support for the set of strategies related to the food and nutrition security of indigenous peoples, which the Brazilian government has already been implementing, and contributing to empower leaderships and communities with a view to achieving significant results in the living conditions of indigenous peoples in the Dourados municipality and Alto Solimões region. In a broader dimension, the project is consistent with and aims to contribute to the full realization of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to reduce hunger and infant mortality rates.

Project symbol

BRA/10/50/UND

Admin unit

CO-Brasilia

Start date

20/01/2010

End date

30/06/2013

Total allocation

796175

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

796175

Development Partners

Multi Partner Trust Fund Office, UNDP

Country/Countries

Brazil

Outcomes

Child Labour