Brazil’s Exit from the Hunger Map: Evaluating the Sustainability of Social Policies

Brazil has reached a transformative milestone in 2026 by successfully removing itself from the Global Hunger Map for the three-year period spanning 2022 to 2024. According to the comprehensive SOFI 2025 report published by the FAO, the nation managed to bring the percentage of its population facing the threat of malnutrition below the critical 2.5% mark. This significant achievement is viewed as the direct result of a revitalized focus on social welfare programs and a steadfast political determination to eliminate hunger by December 2026. It is worth noting that Brazil originally exited this list in 2014, but a subsequent decline led to its return between 2018 and 2020, a fact that underscores the cyclical and fragile nature of food security in the region.

This current success serves as a powerful counterpoint to the historical social injustices documented by Carolina Maria de Jesus in her seminal 1960 work, "Quarto de despejo: diário de uma favelada." Her writings, which were based on diaries kept between 1955 and 1960 while she worked as a waste picker in the Canindé favela of São Paulo, offered a blistering critique of systemic inequality. Her famous observation that "those who eat, invented hunger" remains a haunting reminder of the human cost of poverty. Her legacy continues to inform the need for sustainable state interventions, particularly as the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger confirmed that by the end of 2023, approximately 24 million people had been successfully transitioned out of severe food insecurity.

Despite the official celebrations surrounding this achievement, economists and international observers caution that the eradication of hunger is not a final destination but a continuous process requiring permanent vigilance. Daniel Balaban, a leading economist and the representative for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Brazil, who also serves as the Director of the Center of Excellence against Hunger, emphasizes that withdrawing support for these programs inevitably triggers a regression among the most vulnerable. The Center of Excellence, which has operated as a strategic partnership with the Brazilian government since 2011, remains highly active in 2026, focusing on fostering high-level dialogue and providing technical assistance through South-South cooperation to ensure these gains are preserved.

A fundamental pillar of Brazil’s strategy for maintaining food security is the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), which underwent a significant expansion in February 2026. Under Resolution CD/FNDE № 1/2026, the program received a per capita funding adjustment of 14.35%, an initiative led by the Ministry of Education (MEC) via the FNDE. This measure was specifically designed to restore the purchasing power of schools in the face of inflationary pressures, ensuring that roughly 40 million students across the country receive adequate nutrition. Furthermore, the program maintains a strict directive requiring that at least 45% of its financial resources be used to purchase food from family-run agricultural operations, thereby providing a vital economic stimulus to local farming communities.

To guarantee the long-term viability of these social advancements, Balaban insists on the creation of a robust, cross-sectoral "political structure." This framework is intended to integrate essential initiatives such as the Bolsa Família program, the Unified Health System (SUS), and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA), while also ensuring the continued appreciation of the national minimum wage. Balaban has also been vocal in his criticism of the substantial budget allocations currently reserved for parliamentary amendments, arguing that these funds should be redirected toward essential social services. In 2026, the national agenda continues to focus not only on caloric intake but also on dismantling structural barriers, including gender-based disparities in the workforce, which are being addressed through initiatives like the Selo Lilás in the state of São Paulo.

The successful exit from the Hunger Map was a cornerstone objective for Minister Wellington Dias, who identified it as his primary mission upon taking office in January 2023. This goal was finally realized through a combination of coordinated legislative actions and the active engagement of civil society organizations. Brazil’s progress is also reflected in its broader economic indicators, with the national unemployment rate reaching a historic low of 5.1% in December 2025. This success story illustrates that achieving sustainable results in food security requires more than just temporary measures; it demands a permanent and prioritized budgetary commitment to social programs that protect the most marginalized citizens from falling back into poverty.