A sociological assessment of food programs in South America

Abstract

The present work constitutes an exploratory qualitative review of the food policies implemented in ten South American countries between 2017 and 2018, taking into consideration the nutritional situation of the region. The virtual ethnography approach was used to analyze sixty-six food policies from the Food and Nutrition Security website. Observationfocused on the goals, target population and provisions of each policy. An assessment of the goals raises questions as to the nature of the problem of hunger and exactly what type of society such programs seek to mold; a reading of the modes of provision reveals the strategies used to address the problem, and an observation of the target population points to the sectors of society upon which the policies are focused. One of the most important findings is that the food crisis is manifested in a general increase in obesity, particularly among women on lower incomes.However, only a small percentage of the programs address this issue.