Brasília, November 20, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) and the Special Ministry of Food Security and Hunger Alleviation (MESA), in partnership with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), will finance research projects in the area of Food Security and Education. R$ 9 million will be allocated for fellowships (worth between R$ 400 and R$ 4 thousand), equipment, material, and expenses. Projects will begin being contracted on December 1.

For the first time, the federal government is giving incentives for research to combat hunger. The MESA will contribute R$ 6 million, and the MCT, R$ 3 million. The projects will receive funds for operating expenses (material) and capital (equipment).

Of the 730 projects that were presented, 289 are in the area of Food Security and Education. On this theme, researchers can develop technologies and methods of nutritional education and the control of anti-nutritional substances. The food habits and functional requirements of each ethnic group will also be evaluated, according to gender, age, income, and region.

"This is a new policy that we are just beginning to implant, and it could not do without the collaboration of scientists and academics. This is the way we shall not only involve the scientific community, but produce teachers and students capable of carrying the banner of hunger alleviation and food security to the farthest reaches of the country," declared the Minister of Food Security, José Graziano.

Agricultural production by families and communities is another theme that will be investigated by the scientists, who will analyze the impact of this type of production on the nutrition of the population. The use of Brazil's biodiversity will also be examined, to develop technologies for the production and transformation of species, food products, and raw materials.

Another study in the agricultural field will be the aggregation of value to products. This theme will involve the development of natural food additives and new ways to use agro-industrial wastes. Technological innovations should also appear in the areas of food production, logistics, conservation, and packaging. According to the Minister of Science and Technology, Roberto Amaral, it is impossible to deal with the issue of hunger in Brazil without using the paraphernalia of science and technology. "To overcome the huge regional disparities, systematic investment in science and technology is necessary," Amaral said. (DAS)