Brazil is now capable of feeding itself according to the UN

Earlier this week, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization published a new report, called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World”, which highlights the current patterns and trends of food insecurity throughout the world and evaluates the effectiveness of government policies in combatting these issues.

The publication gave praise to several Latin American nations and their governments for their attempts to combat hunger and food insecurity. Brazil, which has experienced sharp reductions in hunger over the last decade, was especially praised for addressing food insecurity by boosting agricultural productivity, promoting development in rural areas, and facilitating access to adequate food and water for those in need.

Brazil’s method of promoting food security is based on the Zero Hunger Program, which focuses on eliminating hunger through numerous political policies that help promote food security and link productive support to social protection. Back in 2006, the nation approved a National Food and Nutrition Security Law, which lead to the creation of the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan which incorporates more than 40 programs.

According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, federal expenditures on food security and nutrition programs and actions in Brazil amounted to approximately $35 billion in back in 2013. In this year, social protection programs accounted for the largest portion of federal allocations to food security and nutrition, while programs related to food production and distribution, including those to promote family farming, accounted for one-sixth.

Read more about the story at Quartz.