Brazil, in this context, stands closer in comparison with India. Unlike China, Brazil and India are multi-party democracies. The main difference is that India has a population pressure more than Brazil. India is characterized by a number of small and marginal farmers. Brazil has large farmers and also small farms. It has tried to manage its dual system of agriculture through two separate ministries – Ministry for Commercial Agriculture and Ministry for Family Farms. These two ministries have well defined policies.

Some argue that small holdings are not productive and hence this is primarily the reason for farmers’ suicides in India. But this is not true. The needs of food security and exports are met by small and marginal farmers. Small farms in China and Japan are also productive. The cause for suicides is the mismatch between the expenditure and income of Indian farmers. The government needs to take proactive measures to increase the income of farmers.

In Brazil small family farms largely cater to the needs of domestic food security, while the commercial farms produces mostly for exports. According to the special advisor to the Brazilian President, Maya Takagi, the productivity of small family farms is increased through government support. Despite occupying 24% of the area, family farming is responsible for 38% of production and generate 74% employment.

Since 2003, Brazil has launched its food security programme called ‘Zero Hunger Programme”. The budget for this programme in 2009 is $ 10.8 billion. The Brazilian government purchases food from small farmers and cooperatives against remunerative prices for meeting the needs of the Zero Hunger Programme. The Zero Hunger Programme is similar to the recently launched Food Security Mission in India. Like in India, the food purchased from farmers in Brazil are stocked and distributed to the poor under token system. Food is also served to children within the age group 0-14 years in government’s elementary schools – a case comparable with the mid-day meal scheme in India. Brazil also has programmes for addressing private nutrition, including special programme for mother and children.

To meet the needs of food security, Brazil has a programme to supply foodgrains to cheap restaurants, community kitchens and food banks. In 2008 147,000 small family farms in Brazil benefitted by an investment of $ 284 million and in 2009 the funding has increased to $ 326 million. The incentives for small family farms in 2009-10 is slated to increase to $ 8 billion, which also includes technical assistance. For fishermen the incentive is slated to be $ 266 million.

In India the government hesitate to increase the issue prices of foodgrains distributed through public distribution system (PDS) as this may cause hardship to the poor. But Brazil has sought to resolve this issue by increasing the income of the poor through what is called the Cash Transfer Programme. This scheme is similar to the newly launched National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India. Brazil also provides scholarships to poor students.

Brazil has a scheme for brining in land under agriculture. India needs to have a similar scheme. India has to learn from the Brazilian experience for increasing the livelihood of its small and marginal farmers and ensuring food security.Brazil has also launched a programme for land reforms.

According to Takagi, Brazil does not have the problem of food production. It has the problem food distribution and increasing the poor people’s access to food. In 2001 about 21% of the households amounting to 10 million or 27% of the population amounting to 46 million people were poor earning less than $ 1 per day. About 47% of the Brazil’s poor live in the north-east region, 30% of them live in the south-eastern region, 10% of them live in the southern region , 7% of them live in the northern region and 6% of them live in the central-western region. Hunger was increasing in metropolitan areas. The situation has improved with the launch of Zero Hunger Programme and Cash Transfer Programme.

The Zero Hunger Programme is administered by a specific ministry in Brazil, like the functions of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Ministry in India. The Zero Hunger Programme has the involvement of three levels of government, NGOs and civil society in the debate. About 25 policies and 40 programmes of different ministries are dovetailed to make the Zero Hunger Programme a success. Special incentives are given for milk production.

Brazil’s bio-diesel programme has a social angle. About 80% of the raw material needed for bio-diesel production are sourced from small farms. In September 2009, Brazil has launched agro-ecological zoning of sugarcane areas to protect the Amazon, Pantanal, indigenous vegetation and areas earmarked for food production. Sugarcane occupies 0.9% of the country’s area. In 2004 Brazil has launched a programme for rural electrification. Water cisterns are built in semi-arid zones with the support of the government. Under More Food Programme, special lines of credit are extended to modernise infrastructure of small family units and to increase food production. Micro-credit institutions are also encouraged.

Some situations in Latin American countries are common to that in India. These countries have the problem of ensuring food security and protecting their indigenous people. Venezuela subsidises its food for the poor programme by its income from petroleum. Peru wants growers of illicit crops to go for bio-fuel crops. Surinam has sought India’s expertise crop biotechnology and bio-fuel with a view to rehabilitate its agriculture devastated by civil strife. Paraguay has launched a programme for ensuring sustainable development and identity of sovereignty by 2025. Uruguay and some other Latin American countries have invited Indian investment in agriculture.#