Baixada Viva: manejo sustentável da jaqueira para fins alimentares e as perspectivas da integração das políticas públicas ambientais e de segurança alimentar

Abstract

In the global context in which our predominant food system is one of the principal causes of ecosystem degradation, this dissertation sought to investigate alternative solutions for Brazil that promote food security for the population while helping to conserve natural resources, aligning with the international recommendations for integrating forests with food production. Specifically, the research explored the potential for an alternative management of jackfruit (artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) for food purposes as a possible solution in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro in the remnants of the Atlantic Forest. A case study was conducted based on a new project in Xerém, Duque de Caxias, established by the non-governmental organization, Sinal do Vale, which processes and markets a line of products based on green jackfruit, a nutritious and abundant but underutilized food in Brazil. The research investigated the potential of this enterprise and its model of management of the jackfruit for the implementation and integration of Public Policies of forest conservation and Food Security in the Baixada Fluminense. The research also contemplates the possibility of such management generating income for rural landowners in the buffer zones and within Protected Areas, specifically in a rural territory, Taquara, where the Sinal do Vale aims to absorb the jackfruit production of family farmers who inhabit the region. The research occurred between September 2018 and October 2020 and was approved by the Committee of Ethics Research of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. Initially, a survey and analysis of the Brazilian public policies considered most relevant in the areas of food security and nutrition and forest conservation were carried out, highlighting the intersectoral gaps within and between spheres, in addition to the challenges for their implementation. Then the overall potential of jackfruit management for food purposes was explored from an interdisciplinary perspective, investigating the history, the socioecological role, and the nutritional and gastronomic properties of the jackfruit. Through the Sinal do Vale case study, public policies on food security and forest conservation were analyzed at the local level, assessing conflicts and opportunities within the two spheres in the region of the Taquara Municipal Natural Park in Duque de Caxias. Through the collection of secondary data and field interviews with local public policy actors and rural landowners, the underdevelopment of the region's agricultural sector and the lack of inclusion of food security in the management actions of the relevant Protected Areas was detected and explored. The research also demonstrated the potential for managing jackfruit for food purposes as a more sustainable solution for the control of this exotic species in the area, engaging local managers of protected areas and rural landowners with this alternative view. Finally, the possibility of including the green jackfruit as a food in the National School Lunch Program as an action to contribute to the food security of low-income children in the Baixada Fluminense was investigated. The research created recommendations for future investigation that would be important for expanding the use of green jackfruit as food and for the management of the jackfruit tree in Brazil.