From the field to the table: what has changed since 1990 in the food culture of Cumaru’s farming families?

By Darliton Silva
Communicator for the Sabiá Center and the Northeast ATER Agroecology Network

On May 26 and 27, the city of Cumaru hosted the Food Supply and Public Policies Workshop organized by Centro Sabiá. The event took place at the town’s Elderly Living Center.

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.

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?

The activity was also attended by artist Luiza Morgado, who illustrated the workshop discussions in real time. The material will help farming families identify changes in food consumption patterns.

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. “There’s also the social benefit, which helps. With it, we can buy what we couldn’t before, like meat and cheese,” she said.

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.

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.

For Juliana Peixoto, Centro Sabiá’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.

What are ultra-processed products?

O Food Guide for the Brazilian Population 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).

O Atlas of the Food and Nutrition Situation in Pernambuco 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.

According to nutritionist Sônica Lucena, 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.

“The 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,” says Sônica.

The nutritionist also points out that the guide encourages the consumption of “real food”, 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.

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.

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. “My daughter, for example, loves to take melon to school every day,” she says.

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. “The aim is to encourage our children to grow up with healthier eating habits,” says Martilene.

What does the government say?

“Cumaru City Hall maintains a solid commitment to strengthening family farming, offering direct to farmers on various fronts. Among the actions developed, we highlight the preparation of the soil for planting, the issuance of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the National Family Farming (CAF)and adherence to the Garantia-Safra program. These initiatives are part of a set of public policies aimed at the sustainable development of the countryside and the valorization of local production,” said the municipality’s agriculture secretary, Rogério Jerônimo.

Asked how farming families can market their products through institutional purchases, the secretary pointed out that the main public policy adopted by the municipality to promote this marketing is the issuance of the National Family Farming (CAF). “With this registration, farmers have easier access to public procurement programs, such as the National School Feeding Program (PNAE)and other opportunities in institutional markets and short marketing circuits,” said Rogério.

According to the secretary, Cumaru City Hall buys food from family farms through the PNAE. “This ensures that products grown by local farmers reach the municipality’s schools, strengthening the economy and promoting healthy and adequate food for children and adolescents,” said Jerônimo.

Cultivating Futures Project

The Cultivating Futures project is the work of AS-PTA, Bread for the World (Brot fur de Welt) and the Northeast Agroecology ATER Network, with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). Through the ATER Northeast Agroecology Network, Cultivating Futures is being carried out in the states of Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.

The initiative is, in essence, a political advocacy action intended to transform food systems in Brazil, but also in , based on the exchange of knowledge between the two countries. It is an experience of international cooperation that demonstrates how local solutions can contribute to tackling global challenges.

“This project allowed Centro Sabiá’s technical team, together with the families, especially the women, to analyze the trajectory – highlighting the advances and challenges in issues such as food systems, access to public policies, the marketing of family farming products and the families’ food and nutritional security. Past eating habits were also recalled and the impact of the large food industry on people’s lives was recognized. Also noteworthy was the dialogue on these issues with the public authorities of the municipality of Cumaru,” said Aniérica Almeida, Centro Sabiá’s technical-pedagogical coordinator.