Condicionantes da (in)segurança alimentar entre povos indígenas em contexto urbano: análise do bairro Dabarú, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas, Brasil

Abstract

Ensuring food security is one of the most significant global challenges, especially in the most vulnerable regions. In Brazil, Indigenous peoples and their territories are severely affected by food insecurity, particularly in contexts of legal insecurity, environmental degradation, and the climate crisis. The central objective of this study was to investigate the food security situation in a region of the city of São Gabriel da Cachoeira. Specifically, the study aimed to outline the socioeconomic profile of the respondents; understand the social, economic, and environmental determinants of food (in)security in São Gabriel da Cachoeira; and identify the level of food (in)security in the study area. The research was conducted in the Dabarú neighborhood using cluster sampling. A qualitative and quantitative approach was adopted, based on primary data collection through the application of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA) in its eight-question version, semi-structured interviews, field observation and photographic records, as well as document analysis. The data reveal that the majority of interviewed families experience some degree of food insecurity, with economic factors being the primary constraint to accessing adequate food. In addition, the study identified consistent perceptions regarding changes in the local climate regime, such as intensified rainfall and increased temperatures, which directly affect the cultivation, fishing, and gathering of traditional foods, worsening food insecurity cases. Despite the adversities, the research found the presence of community resilience strategies, such as home gardening, sharing among neighbors, and valuing ancestral food knowledge. It is concluded that food security in the Dabarú neighborhood is strained by multiple dimensions of inequality and the scarcity of natural resources. The results of this study aim to contribute to the debate on territorially based public policies that are sensitive to the socio-cultural specificities of the Amazon.