A proposal of a balanced scorecard to the water, energy and food nexus approach: Brazilian food policies in the context of sustainable development goals

Water, energy and food are strategic resources in maintaining human security. The interconnections between them emerge as new important aspects in the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, especially in a context of population growth and increasing pressure on resources. As a consequence of Brazil’s relevance in worldwide food production, this country has established several food policies in the last two decades, resulting in pressure on water and energy resources. Therefore, this article analyzes Brazilian food policies and its interconnections, overlaps and potential clashes with water and energy resources, as well as its alignment to sustainable development goals. In addition, the words with higher incidence in policies were analyzed in order to identify patterns and trends in food production management. As a result, through an analysis and review of seventeen Brazilian policies, programs and projects for food within a perspective of sustainability, this article innovatively proposed a Balanced Scorecard in the water, energy and food Nexus approach. This assessment can provide a directional suggestion for future development policies.