In Central America, food insecurity and poverty are a fundamentally rural phenomenon. Rural poverty is even more present in two groups: small rural producers and indigenous people. In Guatemala, six out of ten people in rural areas live in poverty, and three out of 10 live in total poverty [1]. Although these differences respond to several causes and not exclusively to ethnic traits, it is a fact that there is a gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people. In Guatemala, the malnutrition rate of indigenous children in rural areas can be three to five times higher than that of non-indigenous children.

Due to the lack of opportunities in rural areas, migration to urban and peri-urban areas has been increasing. Over recent decades, this migratory phenomenon has led to a considerable increase in the population in urban and peri-urban areas, with alarming levels of poverty, insecurity, vulnerability, and lack of basic services. Increasing the productivity and income of both rural and urban women is essential to reducing poverty, as women represent a significant portion of the workforce. In the short term, this will improve the health and nutrition of children, and it will also have a positive effect on reducing the severity and incidence of poverty. In the longer term, increasing women’s productivity will have intergenerational effects on the quality of human capital.

The country of Guatemala also has great vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. However, to contribute to the stability of their nutrition and food security, it is possible to implement actions to help them adapt to those disasters, such as improved agricultural practices and early warning systems; as well as promoting local contingency mechanisms, such as grain banks, rural savings systems, and plans to adapt to climate change at a community level. 

In policy terms, we must continue to increase recognition of food and nutrition education as a key strategy for building partnerships and improving government programs.