Brief description of its relationship with SDG-1

Famous for pioneering successful conditional cash transfer programs (like Bolsa Família), Brazil represents the struggle to protect the Amazon while trying to sustainably develop and reduce urban favela poverty. The country has been pushing for global food security initiatives (a major priority for Brazil) arguing that environmental protection must be tied to economic support for poor populations. 

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Brazil faces significant ongoing challenges, with progress on SDG 1 often stagnating or advancing at less than half the required pace. The country is working to reduce economic, social, and political inequality, yet poverty reduction has frequently lagged and broader SDG performance has stalled. Brazil’s relevance to SDG 1 – No Poverty remains substantial: despite earlier gains, poverty and extreme inequality continue to affect large segments of the population, particularly in rural areas, the Amazon region, and urban peripheries. 

The ultimate obstacle to Brazil achieving SDG 1 is structural geographic disparity: multidimensional poverty, informal labour and lack of piped sanitation are highly concentrated in the northern and northeastern states, as well as within indigenous territories and quilombola (Afro-Brazilian) communities. Moreover, in major cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, poverty manifests heavily as housing insecurity, overcrowding, and exposure to environmental risks (landslides, poor waste management) (The Borgen Project, 2021).

For Brazil, reaching SDG 1 is no longer just about distributing cash transfers. The focus has moved toward structural integration—tying welfare programs directly to public sanitation infrastructure, formal job creation and climate resilience in historically marginalized communities (The Borgen Project, 2021).

LIST OF REFERENCES AND USEFUL LINKS

United Nations in Brazil. (n.d.-a). United Nations in Brazil. Retrieved May 4, 2026, from https://brasil.un.org/pt-br

United Nations in Brazil. (n.d.-b). Sustainable Development Goal 1: No poverty. Retrieved May 4, 2026, from https://brasil.un.org/pt-br/sdgs/1

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division. (n.d.). SDG country profile: Brazil. United Nations. Retrieved May 4, 2026, from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/countryprofiles/bra

Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (2026). Brazil. Sustainable Development Report 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/brazil/

Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. (n.d.). Brazil: Bolsa Família. Retrieved May 4, 2026, from https://globalallianceagainsthungerandpoverty.org/country-example/brazil-bolsa-familia/

The Borgen Project. (2021, July 16). SDG 1 in Brazil. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://borgenproject.org/sdg-1-in-brazil/