Key data for Brazil

NCI3rd HRCI5th HANCI2nd
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 7% Wasting: 1.8% Proportion of population underweight: 1.8% Source: Government of Brazil (PNDS,2007)

Strong Performance

  • The Government investment in the health sector is comparatively high at 10.3% of total public spending in 2017.
  • The Government of Brazil has ensured tenure security for rural populations. Land titling is common and land markets function well. Policy promotes equitable access to common property resources. This has been the case for an extended period.
  • The Government encourages varied agricultural research and extension services, and local farmer organisations are involved in setting policy priorities. The extension system is effective and properly reaches out to poor farmers. Government policies, strategies and mechanisms seek to ensure gender equity in access to extension services. This has been the case for an extended period.
  • Brazil instituted a separate budget line for nutrition, enabling transparency and accountability for spending.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • Policymakers in Brazil benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2018.
  • The Government has fully enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • The Government of Brazil promotes complementary feeding practices.
  • 98.4% of the population of Brazil in 2017 has access to an improved drinking water source.
  • In Brazil 97.2% of women aged 15-49 were visited at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel in 2015.
  • In Brazil, constitutional protection of the right to food and the right to social security is strong.
  • Brazil’s social safety nets are well developed, but do not cover all risks for all of the population.

Areas for improvement

  • In Brazil, the law gives women and men equal economic rights and equal legal access to agricultural land. However, these laws are not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • The Government of Brazil has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for only 13.8% of children in 2013.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
0.9%201944th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
10.3%20176th
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Very Strong20191st
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Very Strong2019Joint 3rd
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
96.4%20153rd
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Strong20181st
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Strong2017Joint 1st
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 5th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2018Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
13.8%201342nd
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2014Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
98.4%20172nd
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
88.3%20171st
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
97.2%201511th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Moderate2020-203130th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2018Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Fully Enshrined2019Joint 1st