Resumen

OLIVEIRA, Leidy Diana de Souza de Watanabe; DE MORAIS LIMA-FILHO, Eluiza Alberto; DE OLIVEIRA SPROESSER, Dario  y  RENATO, Luiz. Agroalim [online]. 2010, vol.16, n.31, pp.15-29. ISSN 1316-0354.

The aim of this article is to analyze public policy for food security adopted in countries with different development levels. For this purpose, a review in available previous studies was made. We used the country income in order to establish the levels of development, according to the World Bank methodology. The high-income countries selected were United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; with upper middle-income, Brazil, South Africa and Malaysia; with lower-middle income, China, India and Ecuador; and, on low income cases, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Vietnam. The results show that income inequality between countries and within each nation are determinants of food (in)security. The main causes of food insecurity in high-income countries and upper middle are disparities related to ethnicity/race, gender, income and education. In countries with low and lower middle income, inefficiency in institutions, low technology employed in agriculture and, in turn, low productivity are the main determining factors for food insecurity. Compensatory policies, although no long-term effectiveness are important integrating factor of the population placed on the banks of consumption by historical factors. As for the problems brought by excessive food consumption, obesity begins as a problem among groups of socioeconomic status higher in low-income countries, but as the country’s income grows, the risk of obesity reach poorest population increases. Interventions should be undertaken in order to make healthy food more accessible to low-income population. To do this, it is necessary the combination of agricultural policy, pricing policies, regulatory actions and education on consumption.

Palabras clave : developed countries; developing countries; undernourishment; obesity; agricultural subsidies; food security.