The Abia (Brazilian Food Industry Association) predicts that at least 500,000 liters of milk will be lost a day, starting this Thursday (3), if the demonstrations on the roads do not stop immediately.
According to the entity, 30 production lines, of various foods, are currently stopped due to the protests.
The undemocratic acts are carried out on roads across the country by supporters of the current president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), defeated in the last elections, who block access with trucks and burning tires.
The waste occurs amid a worsening situation of hunger in Brazil. Today, 33 million Brazilians face food insecurity in the country, as revealed by the 2nd National Survey on Food Insecurity in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil, carried out by the Penssan Network (Brazilian Network for Research in Food and Nutrition Sovereignty and Security).
Datafolha pointed out last week that 24% of Brazilians have insufficient food on the table.
“The roadblocks severely compromise the access of industries to raw materials and essential inputs for production and prevent the distribution of all types of food, including powdered milk and infant formula”, says a note released by Abia this Wednesday ( two).
The entity’s monitoring accounts that, at the moment, more than 30 production lines are stopped or at high risk of stoppage in the coming hours.
“If the lockdowns are maintained, starting tomorrow [3] there is a risk of discarding at least 500 thousand liters of milk per day by the main suppliers of just one associated industry – in addition to the loss of thousands of finished products”, informs Abia.
“This would represent millionaire losses to the economy, impacts on inflation and a disservice to the efforts undertaken by society to combat food insecurity.”
The food industry reached BRL 992.6 billion in revenue in Brazil in 2021, about 10% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The sector produces around 250 million tons of food per year, with more than 37 thousand industries that process 58% of everything that is produced in the field.
Abia says it is seriously concerned about the situation of food production and distribution throughout the country, stressing that it is “essential that the demonstrations do not harm the free transit of food.”
The operations of production, distribution, marketing and delivery of food and beverages are “essential activity, recognized by the federal government”, recalls the entity.
“There is an urgent need for quick and effective action by governments for the immediate unblocking of roads, as well as the creation of logistical corridors to guarantee the circulation of food, thus guaranteeing supply, and avoiding waste.”
According to the PRF (Federal Highway Police), the fines imposed due to the roadblocks are already almost 2,000 and exceed R$ 18 million.
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