Perspectivas na promoção da alimentação adequada e saudável nos serviços da assistência técnica e extensão rural

Abstract

Rural extension agents accompany farmers in the process of food production, processing, marketing, supply and consumption, promoting sustainable practices and facilitating access to food, contributing to the reduction of food insecurity. Promoting adequate and healthy eating involves a set of intersectoral and educational actions that seek to encourage healthy eating practices in order to improve the quality of life of populations. In this sense, the objective of this work was to analyze adequate and healthy promotion practices in Technical Assistance and Rural Extension services in Brazil. To map Technical Assistance and Rural Extension practices, an online form was used, sent via email to rural extension professionals registered with the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension. With a total of 85 respondents, the sociodemographic profile of the sample was predominantly female (86.9%), with an average age of 48 years and an average length of service of 19 years. Professionals from all macro-regions of Brazil participated, being the region with the highest number of responses, totaling 31.7%. In addition, the main themes emerging from practices to promote adequate and healthy nutrition in Technical Assistance and Rural Extension services were identified: health; self-consumption; agroecology; food culture and commercialization, characterized in terms of their importance of being addressed, in terms of demand by the community and in terms of implementation in the daily work of extension workers. This highlighted the interdisciplinary character present in practical approaches to adequate and healthy promotion in Technical Assistance and Rural Extension, which are in line with the principles of the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population.