The precarious livelihood in waste dumps: A report on food insecurity and hunger among recyclable waste collectors

• Autor(a) principal: Pacheco SANTOS, Leonor Maria
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Ferreira CARNEIRO, Fernando, Luderitz HOEFEL, Maria da Graça, dos SANTOS, Wallace, Quintas NOGUEIRA, Thaissa
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Nutrição
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/8429
• topic: Environmental health; Food security; Government programs; Occupational health; Solid waste disposal; Recyclable material collectors; Saúde ambiental; Segurança alimentar e nutricional; Programas governamentais; Saúde do Trabalhador; Acondicionamento de resíduos sólidos; Catadores

ObjectiveThis study estimated the prevalence of food insecurity, social vulnerability factors, and health risks in recyclable material collectors who work at the dump. MethodsA census was performed of the collectors’ families living on five blocks near the dump of the Complementary Industry and Supply Sector, Brasília, Federal District, known as Cidade Estrutural. Sociodemographic data about sanitation, social programs, housing, labor, and food security were collected during home interviews. ResultsA total of 204 households composed of 835 residents and 286 collectors was studied. Ninety-three percent of the households had piped water, 65% had sanitation and almost all had electricity. But the presence of rats and cockroaches occurred in 90% of the households. A third of the workers reported being sick, but 44% of the families were not visited by community health workers because not all blocks were covered. Based on the food insecurity scale and the reporting of eating foods picked from the garbage by 55% of the respondents, a total of 75% of the households were exposed to food insecurity. According to the criteria of the Bolsa FamíliaProgram, 52% of the households were eligible, but not all were enrolled: the undercoverage was 44%. The need of other inclusion criteria for social programs, in addition to income, to identify populations surviving precariously in extreme poverty, hunger, and demeaning work is discussed. ConclusionThe social and environmental vulnerability of this population, subject to hunger and disease, is serious. The Brasil sem Miséria (Brazil without Poverty) program will not be capable of eliminating poverty while these subhuman conditions remain unresolved.