The right to adequate food and the fight against hunger were the themes of a mobilization held this Saturday (17), in Sol Nascente, a regional administrative area of the Federal District. The program started at the Coletivo Mulheres do Sol, with a conversation circle on food security, and continued with a walk through the territory to the Popular Kitchen Mara Maria de Jesus, where a collective lunch was held with food from family farming.
The mobilization brought together theMovement of Rural Workers Without Land (MST), theMovement of Small Farmers (MPA), theMovement of Workers and Workers for Rights (MTD), theNational Movement for Housing Struggle (MNLM), andMovement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Brazil's Fian, the Women of the Sun Collective, Ecossol, and representatives from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).
Held one day afterWorld Food Daycelebrated on Friday (16), the event aimed to discuss food and nutritional security, food sovereignty, and access to food conditions in the territory. The program also included a presentation of a diagnosis on the reality of Sol Nascente families and a dialogue with residents.
On the same day, the Popular Kitchen Mara Maria de Jesus also hosted theTraining course "Our Right to the City", organized by MNLM, Fiocruz, and MTD.The initiative promotes activities focused on strengthening community networks, popular organization, and the defense of rights in the territory.
"Having the right to eat is not a favor, it is a duty of the state and any political government project," said Alessandra Farias, a member of the national coordination of the MST and a lawyer for Fian Brazil, advocating that access to food be treated as a right, not a political concession.
According to her, the mobilization also sought to present to the population an alternative to the use of social vulnerability for electoral purposes. "There are several politicians who take advantage of the vulnerability of this people to distribute basic baskets, cookies, juice, and poison. So, we wanted today to bring a counterpoint, to bring our country project to dialogue with this community," she said.
Diagnosis
The program started with a roundtable discussion atCollective Women of the SunThe report, titled "Food and Rights in Sunrise (DF)", was presented. The publication was developed by Fian Brasil in partnership with the MultiplicaSSAN collective, as part of an extension project from the University of Brasília (UnB), with the participation of researchers from the community and local leaders.
The survey compiles information on access to food and human rights violations experienced by residents of Sol Nascente's 2nd and 3rd sections. According to data from the District Federal Research and Statistics Institute (IPEDF) cited in the report, 49.8% of households in the region experienced some level of food insecurity in 2023, with 12.7% facing severe food insecurity.
Adelar Cupsinski, Secretary-General of Fian Brasil, emphasized that the right to food goes beyond having food available and also involves the quality and origin of the food.
"The right to food needs to be understood in two dimensions. One is the right to be free from hunger, which is the most visible, something everyone sees. But there is also the right to adequate food, meaning the struggle to ensure that locally produced products, by rural workers, indigenous communities, and traditional communities, also reach the tables of all Brazilians, free from agrochemicals," he explained.
The diagnosis also highlights difficulties in accessing fresh and healthy foods, related to the limited availability of products in local shops and the need to use public transportation to reach establishments with more affordable prices. The document also compiles recommendations for the public sector, formulated from the demands presented by the women participants of the research.
The complete diagnosis is available.at this link.
Family farming
After the roundtable discussion, participants walked through sections of the territory to dialogue with residents and present products from family farming.The foods brought by the MSTwere used in preparing the collective lunch.
According to Alessandra Farias, the choice of products also expresses the defense of another model of food production and distribution. "The entire basis of the meal is made with products we collect from the settlements and camps of the Land Reform, all without agrochemicals. From salads to vegetables and fruits, everything comes from family farming, to show that another country is possible," the leader stated.
The coordination between urban and rural organizations was also highlighted by Denilva Araújo, a member of the MPA. For her, the union between the movements is fundamental to strengthen the defense of social rights. "This alliance between the countryside and the city is strategic for the movements, because it is through this combination that we strengthen ourselves and, in a way, secure the rights of both urban and rural populations," Denilva stated.
Solidary Kitchen
In addition to receiving the collective lunch and the course "Our Right to the City", the Mara Maria de Jesus Popular Kitchen plays a daily role in serving the residents of Sol Nascente. Adriana Rocha Bandeira, cook from MTD, states that the work goes beyond meal preparation and delivery.
"Here, we don't just deliver a plate of food, we provide shelter. Because sometimes a person doesn't just need a plate of food, they need a hug, a friendly word, support. And we provide all of that," she reported.
She also pointed out challenges in maintaining the kitchen's supply, especially regarding the purchase of proteins. "Our main struggle is with protein, because the last delivery we received was in May. We're doing our best to buy rice, beans, and everything needed for a kitchen," she affirmed.
According to the cook, the kitchen prepares between 300 and 400 meal packs, twice a week, destined for residents of the same territory.
Nutritionist and MTD activist Juliana Gonçalves Machado explains that the initiative also aims to ensure thatFood Quality"The food offered to the community does not include ultra-processed foods. It is natural and minimally processed food, preferably from family farming. The kitchen has the purpose of providing adequate and healthy nutrition for this community, because everyone has this right," she stated.
Francisca Dayane, a resident of Samambaia Sul, also emphasized the importance of mobilization for families facing difficulties in ensuring daily meals. "There are many people, including children, who have nothing to eat at home. Therefore, a mobilization like this, which offers food, is very important for those who face hunger every day," she said.
Support popular communication in DF:
Make a contribution via Pix and help maintain independent regional journalism. Donate to[email protected]
Follow ourInstagram profileStay updated with the news from the region.
Join our WhatsApp channel.Send a message to our WhatsApp number.Follow the updates on our WhatsApp channel.
Suggest a news story about the Federal District through the BdF DF WhatsApp number: 61 98304–0102.WhatsApp number of BdF DF: 61 98304–0102