War and oranges: A radiophonic lecture on the nutritional value of Brazilian fruits (1940)

Abstract

Since the early twentieth-century, sanitarians have relied on the radio for educational purposes. Men like Geraldo Horácio de Paula Souza and Borges Vieira used radio waves to popularize hygienic habits and disseminate information on sanitary topics. On April 16, 1940, Paula Souza stood before the microphones at Rádio Educadora Paulista and gave a lecture on the nutritional value of oranges and the need to eat them as a patriotic act. Touting the fruit's nutritional qualities, Paula Souza launched the 'orange campaign'. Its success reached beyond the borders of São Paulo state, as the campaign found space in the press and took form as an advertising brochure published by the Agricultural Information Service, with the unconditional support of the Minister of Agriculture, Fernando Costa.