Tatiana Schor

Frozen chicken for wild fish: nutritional transition in the Brazilian Amazon region determined by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in fingernails.

Amazonian populations are experiencing dietary changes characteristic of the nutrition transition. However, the degree of change appears to vary between urban and rural settings. To investigate this process, we determined carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in fingernails and dietary intake of Amazonian populations living along a rural to urban continuum along the Solimões River in Brazil.

Cultural attitudes are stronger predictors of bushmeat consumption and preference than economic factors among urban Amazonians from Brazil and Colombia

Bushmeat consumption persists in urban areas in the Neotropics, yet knowledge of its scale and the relative importance of cultural and economic factors in determining consumption and preference remain elusive. Moreover, the roles of cultural beliefs, social norms, and attitudes in driving urban bushmeat consumption are rarely evaluated. Therefore, we explored in this article the factors that influence consumption and preference for bushmeat in Amazonian towns. Given the availability of other sources of animal protein and the cultural and social importance of bushmeat in the region, we hypothesized that cultural attributes should be better predictors than economic factors of bushmeat consumption and preference. Data analysis involved fitting two-level mixed-effects regressions (random intercepts) to a structured sample of 227 individuals (99 households) from four towns in the Brazilian (Tabatinga and Atalaia do Norte) and Colombian (Leticia and Puerto Narino) Amazon. The results indicate that a third of the interviewees had consumed bushmeat in the past month, which had primarily been harvested by the family or received as a gift rather than obtained through trade. In general, both economic and cultural factors predicted bushmeat consumption and preference, but the objective proxy for culture, individual origin, was unimportant. Among the tested indicators, the strongest predictor was the importance of bushmeat to social relations. Moreover, informal social norms, such as the greater importance attributed to taboos, tended to decrease the average number of wild species that a person would eat, whereas attitudes toward the illegality of hunting were less important. The two economic indicators, increased income and wealth, tended to decrease preference for bushmeat and the likelihood of consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of human beliefs, attitudes, and social norms to the understanding of bushmeat consumption and preference and may contribute to the design of more effective and locally appropriate conservation and management strategies.

Beyond protein intake: bushmeat as source of micronutrients in the Amazon

Wild meat is critical for the food security and income of millions of people, especially for poor rural households. Its role as a primary source of macronutrients worldwide has been recognized, but there have been few attempts to evaluate the contribution of bushmeat consumption to micronutrient intake. This is so particularly in the context of nutritional transitions induced by modernization and globalization. Here, we calculated the role of bushmeat as a source of micronutrients in the diets of urban and periurban inhabitants within the Tres Fronteras (Peru, Brazil, Colombia) region in the Amazon. We gathered food intake data from 35 households using 3-day 24-h food recalls combined with food weighing. Additionally, we interviewed 105 households on food consumption frequency. Our results indicate that 14.3% of the households consumed bushmeat, which represented approximately 32% of their caloric intake, 72% of consumed protein, and 77% of iron. Typically, households consuming bushmeat presented higher a nutritional status, i. e., lower intake of carbohydrates (-10%) and higher intake of proteins (+46%), iron (+151%), and zinc (+23%), than households not consuming bushmeat. Most of the sampled households did not achieve standard nutritional requirements for calories (94%), fiber, vitamin C, or iron (97%) per adult per day. None of the households achieved the recommended daily intake for calcium. Households consuming bushmeat consumed statistically significantly higher levels of iron, zinc, and vitamin C than households that did not eat bushmeat. The latter consumed an excess of 31% calories from processed foods per adult per day, and lower amounts of iron (-60%) and zinc (-19%). We argue that households not consuming bushmeat are at greater risk of anemia in the short run and other chronic health problems in the long run.

MERCADOS, TABERNAS E FEIRAS: custo de vida nas cidades na calha do Rio Solimões (markets, delis and street markets: living costs in the cities along the River)

Ao habito alimentar e parte determinante da cultura dos povos. A cesta basica deveria representar essas culturas, porem a modernidade, com a intensificacao da urbanizacao tende a padronizar este habito, porem nao o homogeneiza. As relacoes que determinam a cesta basica no estado sao particulares de forma que a composicao desta, que e a mesma desde a decada de 1930 e calculada somente para regioes metropolitanas, deve ser revista. Com isso, propoe-se uma cesta basica regionalizada para o Estado do Amazonas que considere principalmente os habitos alimentares e de comercializacao da populacao local. Essa regionalizacao tornara evidente nao somente os habitos, como tambem as relacoes economicas e sociais implicitas na rede urbana estabelecida com o mercado da cesta basica regionalizada. Por meio da analise do custo dessa cesta e das relacoes que envolvem sua estrutura de mercado nas cidades de Manacapuru e Coari, podera se estabelecer o perfil urbano dessas cidades e a sua relacao com as atividades rurais-ribeirinhas e considerando as transformacoes e permanencias nos habitos alimentares na regiao. Palavras-chave : Cesta basica; perfil urbano; rede urbana; cidades na Amazonia. A BSTRACT The role played by nutrition in the Amazon State, due to its complex hydrological system, is subject to local specificities. The composition of the national staple food cost was established in Brazil in the 30’s and the prices are collected only in the metropolitan regions. Due to the fact that alimentary habits differ enormously from one region to another, the staple food costs in the State are particular in such a manner that it must be reviewed and regionalized. This regionalization will make evident not only alimentary habits but also economic and social relations implicit in the urban network. By means of the costs’ analysis of the regional staple food costs and the market relations, that are related with it in the cities of Manacapuru and Coari in Amazonas State, the urban profile and the rural-urban activities in the urban network can be established. Key words : Basic food costs; urban profile; urban network, cities in Amazonia. RESUMEN La cuestion de la alimentacion de la Amazonia esta sujeto a las circunstancias locales. Las relaciones que determinan la canasta de alimentos en el estado son especificos, de manera que la composicion de los cuales es el mismo desde los anos 1930 y calculo solo en las zonas metropolitanas, debe ser revisado. Por lo tanto, proponemos una canasta de regionalizada para el Estado de Amazonas a considerar principalmente los habitos alimentarios y la comercializacion de la poblacion local. Esta regionalizacion se hara evidente no solo los habitos, sino tambien las relaciones economicas y sociales implicitos en la red urbana establecida con la canasta de mercado regionalizado. Mediante el analisis del costo de la canasta y la relacion que involucra a la estructura de los municipios de Manacapuru y Coari podra establecer el perfil de las ciudades y su relacion con las zonas costeras las actividades rurales. Mots-cle :Canasta de alimentos; perfiles urbanos; red urbana; ciudades de La Amazonia. DOI : 10.4215/RM2010.0919.0008

MERCADOS E FEIRAS NA TRÍPLICE FRONTEIRA: UMA ANÁLISE DOS ESPAÇOS DE COMERCIALIZAÇÃO DE PRODUTOS IN NATURA NA CIDADE DE TABATINGA, AMAZONAS, BRASIL

A Amazonia e sem duvida uma area de interesse para o estudo das diferencas no acesso aos alimentos e como o rapido processo de modernizacao via redes de comunicacao e comercio impactam os habitos alimentares, em especial nas pequenas e medias cidades. Neste artigo, busca-se compreender os locais de comercializacao e a rede de distribuicao de alimentos in natura (frutas, legumes, tuberculos), no intuito de analisar a partir da disponibilidade dos alimentos a dinâmica da fronteira na Amazonia Brasileira. Para isso escolheu-se compreender a dinâmica espacial do abastecimento de produtos in natura na cidade de Tabatinga, fronteira Brasil-Colombia-Peru. Consideramos que uma forma interessante de se analisar a dinâmica espacial na fronteira e por meio do abastecimento de produtos in natura, pois esta dinâmica relaciona tanto a rede urbana quanto a dinâmica fluvial alem da questao da producao agricola local e regional e mais especificamente nos permite delinear aspectos relacionados a seguranca alimentar na regiao.