{"id":29012,"date":"2025-06-09T08:32:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centrosabia.org.br\/2025\/06\/09\/do-campo-a-mesa-o-que-mudou-desde-1990-na-cultura-alimentar-das-familias-agricultoras-de-cumaru\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T08:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:36:14","slug":"do-campo-a-mesa-o-que-mudou-desde-1990-na-cultura-alimentar-das-familias-agricultoras-de-cumaru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centrosabia.org.br\/en\/2025\/06\/09\/do-campo-a-mesa-o-que-mudou-desde-1990-na-cultura-alimentar-das-familias-agricultoras-de-cumaru\/","title":{"rendered":"From the field to the table: what has changed since 1990 in the food culture of Cumaru’s farming families?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Darliton Silva<\/a><\/strong>Communicator for the Sabi\u00e1 Center and the Northeast ATER Agroecology Network<\/p>\n\n

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Photo: Darliton Silva | Archive Sabi\u00e1 Center and Northeast Agroecology ATER Network<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

On May 26 and 27, the city of Cumaru hosted the Food Supply and Public Policies Workshop<\/strong> organized by Centro Sabi\u00e1. The event took place at the town’s Elderly Living Center. <\/p>\n\n

A collective reflection brought together almost 40 agroecological farmers to discuss changes in food consumption in rural communities from the 1990s to the present day.<\/p>\n\n

The debates were based on the following questions: What was food like in the communities in 1990? What will have changed by 2025? How have local food markets evolved? What public policies impact these transformations? <\/p>\n\n

The activity was also attended by artist Luiza Morgado<\/a>, who illustrated the workshop discussions in real time. The material will help farming families identify changes in food consumption patterns<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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Photo: Darliton Silva | Archive Sabi\u00e1 Center and Northeast Agroecology ATER Network<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

According to farmer Isabel Maria Barbosa, in 1990 everything was simple and difficult, but they still had goat’s milk, fish, beans, fava beans and corn. Now, in 2025, life has improved, thanks to public policies that have brought more income. \u201cThere’s also the social benefit, which helps. With it, we can buy what we couldn’t before, like meat and cheese,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n

A lot has changed from 1990 to the present day. Public policies aimed at access to water, credit and income transfer programs have significantly transformed the lives of thousands of people in the semi-arid region. <\/p>\n\n

Currently, with the expansion of large supermarkets in the municipalities of Agreste Pernambuco, one of the main challenges faced by the farming families of Cumaru is maintaining a healthy and adequate diet. Although they still consume part of what they produce, a significant portion of the food that reaches their tables comes from the large retail conglomerates, and is often ultra-processed. <\/p>\n\n

For Juliana Peixoto, Centro Sabi\u00e1’s territorial coordinator, public policies and access to local markets play a central role in these transformations. “Changes in eating habits are linked to access to income, culture and the availability of food in the territory,” she said. <\/p>\n\n

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Photo: Darliton Silva | Archive Sabi\u00e1 Center and Northeast Agroecology ATER Network<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

What are ultra-processed products?<\/h4>\n\n

O Food Guide for the Brazilian Population<\/em><\/a> considers ultra-processed foods to be industrial formulations made from substances extracted from food. These include oils, fats, sugar, starch, proteins – either derived from food constituents, or synthesized in the laboratory from organic materials such as petroleum, coal, dyes, flavorings, flavor enhancers, etc. Given this definition, we can consider that ultra-processed foods are actually products and not foods, as they are generally marketed (Ministry of Health, 2006<\/a>)<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n

O Atlas of the Food and Nutrition Situation in Pernambuco<\/em><\/a> shows that in 2019, 52% of children aged between 6 and 23 months already consumed ultra-processed foods. To give you an idea, the Ministry of Health’s Food Guide for Children Under Two Years of Age recommends that no such products should be consumed at this stage of life. <\/p>\n\n

According to nutritionist S\u00f4nica Lucena<\/a>, who has a PhD in nutrition and is a retired professor from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), it is essential for the population to know about proper and healthy eating, especially during childhood, which is a crucial stage for forming eating habits.<\/p>\n\n

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\u201cThe Food Guide for the Brazilian Population is available to everyone and offers clear and practical information on how to maintain a healthy diet, respecting the conditions and realities of each person,\u201d says S\u00f4nica.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

The nutritionist also points out that the guide encourages the consumption of \u201creal food\u201d, i.e. natural or minimally processed food, preferably from family farms, with an agro-ecological and sustainable base, free of pesticides and valuing local production and short marketing circuits.<\/p>\n\n

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Photo: Darliton Silva | Archive Sabi\u00e1 Center and Northeast Agroecology ATER Network<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In addition, the material recommends preparing meals at home, served in familiar surroundings, with priority given to fresh food such as fruit, vegetables and legumes.<\/p>\n\n

Martilene Iraci, a farmer from the municipality of Cumaru, who also took part in the Food Supply and Public Policies Workshop, says that it is essential to make both children and adults aware of the importance of proper nutrition. \u201cMy daughter, for example, loves to take melon to school every day,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n

She also comments that she tries to guide other mothers to avoid putting soft drinks in their children’s snacks, encouraging the use of fruit instead. \u201cThe aim is to encourage our children to grow up with healthier eating habits,\u201d says Martilene. <\/p>\n\n

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