Environmental Justice in the Brazilian Coastal Food Systems: Policies, Institutions, and Knowledges on Small-Scale Fishers and Energy Development

This study explores environmental justice issues in coastal food systems, focusing on conflicts between small-scale fisheries and the energy sector due to differing goals in managing food and energy sources. It does so by examining the interdependence between institutions, policies, and different types of knowledge; key elements in building efficient environmental governance to balance human interests with environmental conservation. To this end, we collected, organized, and analyzed secondary data on 18 conflicts involving small-scale fishers and oil and gas installations, wind farms, and thermoelectric plants along the Brazilian coastline. Key information about these conflicts, updated between 2009 and 2024, was sourced from the Map of Conflicts Related to Environmental Injustice and Health in Brazil, provided by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. By analyzing the interactions between policies, institutions, and knowledges in shaping these conflicts, we observed that mismatches in policies, institutions, and knowledges can disrupt coastal food systems and negatively affect the well-being and traditional livelihoods of small-scale fishers, although some institutional and knowledge linkages can still generate positive outcomes. In addition, the three major dimensions of environmental justice (distributional, procedural, and recognition) have been ignored or overlooked by institutions and policies concerning small-scale fisheries along the Brazilian coastal zone. Our findings highlight the need for fairer, more integrated connections between policies, institutions, and knowledges in coastal food systems. This would align development goals, recognize traditional food communities' rights, support a sustainable energy transition, and highlight the value of small-scale fishers for local consumption and markets.