FRUIT SPECIES FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION OF BRAZIL AT RISK OF EXTINCTION: A MATTER OF FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The southern region is the main producer of fruit in the country. Fruits such as araçá, jabuticaba and butiá are part of the local culture. They are better known by older people who tend to remember them with “the flavor of childhood”, today, however, it is very difficult to find them and/or their by-products on the market. Producers prefer to work with fruits of higher commercial value. Constant climate change and the consensus on the future insufficiency of natural resources has made the attempt to conserve biodiversity a global concern, and the identification of species that are at risk of extinction and the factors that threaten them is important for the adoption of strategies of preservation. This study sought to identify, among regional fruits, which were not seen being commercialized. Descriptive, transversal and quantitative research. Based on the results, the majority of respondents were female. Among the participants, adults aged below 40 years predominated, but among men the average age was higher than that of women. Regarding the fruits mentioned in the study that were identified by the population, it was observed that most of them are known by a large part of the population, but the loquat, bitter orange, guabiroba and rio grande cherry, do not have extensive knowledge of the participants. Some of the fruits mentioned in this study were seen being marketed widely by a large part of the participants (over 50%), which perhaps place them in less worrisome categories in the risk classification. This study expanded the look at socio-environmental issues, in order to demonstrate the connection of these themes with the performance of the Nutritionist at SAN and thus contribute to the extension of work in this area.