Brazil has 33 million people facing hunger

"Today I'm hungry," says a man in Salvador, Bahia. Photo: Joa Souza/Shutterstock

In less than two years, the number of people facing hunger in Brazil has almost doubled. There were 19.1 million Brazilians in this situation at the end of 2020. Today, there are 33.1 million — 15.5 percent of the population. The data comes from a recent study by the Brazilian Research Network on Food and Nutrition Sovereignty and Security, released today.

Research shows that almost 60 percent of families live with some degree of food insecurity, which represents more than 125 million people. The problem is more serious among families led by black women, and rural residents.

The authors warn that the number of Brazilians currently going hungry is similar to that of 30 years ago, when the country set up its first major national campaign on the subject.

At the end of May, The Brazilian Report addressed the impacts of the recent escalation of hunger in the country in an in-depth multimedia report. It is open to non-subscribers and can also be read in Portuguese.

Amanda Audi

Amanda Audi is a journalist specializing in politics and human rights. She is the former executive director of Congresso em Foco and worked as a reporter for The Intercept Brasil, Folha de S. Paulo, O Globo, Gazeta do Povo, Poder360, among others. In 2019, she won the Comunique-se Award for best-written media reporter and won the Mulher Imprensa award for web journalism in 2020