Aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goals agenda, researchers, social movements, and policymakers are increasingly interested in discussing strategies for transitioning to sustainable and healthy food systems. A central issue in this debate is how food activism by rural and urban social movements can contribute to a new generation of public policies. In Brazil, this issue has become even more relevant due to rising food insecurity, compelling these movements to expand and diversify their economic strategies for accessing sustainable and healthy food. To contribute to this discussion, the project brings together a network of researchers to address the following question: to what extent do the food activism strategies of these social movements converge to form a framework that can guide the development of a new generation of food policies? The guiding hypothesis of this investigation proposes a convergence around a framework that connects healthy food consumption with food and environmental justice. This hypothesis will be tested through a comparative analysis of food activism strategies in the metropolitan regions of Belém, Manaus, Natal, São Luís, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre. These cities were selected based on three criteria: diverse regional dynamics, histories of activism and food policies, and the team’s prior research expertise. The comparative analysis will be structured using an analytical matrix composed of variables and indicators applicable to all cases. To develop this matrix and support the execution and dissemination of results, the project will collaborate with the Food for Justice research group at the Free University of Berlin, Germany, and the Laboratório Urbano de Políticas Públicas Alimentares (Urban Laboratory for Food Policy, Luppa) associated with the Instituto Comida do Amanhã.

Participants (Center)

SOPAS/UFRGS: Paulo André Niederle (coordenador); Maycon Noremberg Schubert; Luíza Tavares; Vitória Giovana Duarte; Marília Luz David; Liége Disconzi Rodrigues; Pamela Kenne; Eduarda Paz Trindade; Julia Menin; Natália Vencato de Paula; Renata Campos Motta; Ângela Camana