Food security and pluriactivity in the Brazilian Amazon: a study on small rural establishments

The number and share of rural households whose members conduct non-agricultural activities has grown rapidly in the Amazon. This article analyzes the differences in food and nutrition security levels between small rural establishments dedicated exclusively to agricultural activities (non-pluriactive) versus those dedicated simultaneously to agricultural and non-agricultural activities (pluriactive) in the Amazon. The research uses data from the food security supplements of the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (PNAD, acronym in Portuguese) for 2004, 2009 and 2013. The food security classification is based on the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA, acronym in Portuguese). A decomposition method was applied to quantify the differences in the occurrence of food security between the two groups of establishments attributed to their socioeconomic characteristics - such as income and education - and to unobservable factors - such as access to quality food. The results show higher food security levels for pluriactive establishments, with the main factors explaining this difference being associated with household head income and education. The final discussion demonstrates the importance of pluriactivity and rural development policies as strategies to promote food security in the Amazon.