CATIE promotes the use of information systems in food and nutrition security.

• Through training and governance actions, planning and coordination with different stakeholders is strengthened..

June 29, 2022.Through the National Information Platform on Nutrition (PiNN) project, funded by the European Union, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) provided training on food and nutrition security governance. Also the use of Municipal Information Systems (SiMUSAN) to municipal monitors of the Secretariat of Food and Nutrition Security (SESAN) and directors of the Municipal Offices of Food and Nutrition Security of the department of Totonicapán, in Guatemala.

In addition, meetings were held with officials from the Municipal Water and Sanitation Offices (OMAS, its Spanish acronym) of Momostenango and the Environmental Actions Project of the Mancomunidad Metrópoli of los Altos of the department of Quetzaltenango.

According to Martha María Pacay, PiNN's food and nutrition security policy and advocacy advisor, this training strengthens knowledge on governance through a governance measurement tool (G-SAN) and the use of the SiMUSANs for local analysis and recommendations, with a view to strengthening coordination and communication processes.

Pacay added that the training was provided to ensure the planning, monitoring and evaluation of multi-sectoral actions carried out between state institutions, civil society and international cooperation at the departmental level.  

The second phase of this training, given by Ninoshka Lou, PiNN project communicator, focused on the importance of communicating inter-institutional actions in food and nutrition security and the use of tools to prepare news and their publication in information systems.

Another action developed to strengthen food security planning was the meeting held with the OMAS of the municipality of Momostenango. This meeting aimed to identify the process of information and data flow in the water supply of Momostenango, with a view in the short term, and to initiate exchanges of experiences with OMAS officials and health inspectors of the municipality of Colotenango, as indicated by Hugo Diego Rivas, PiNN's multi-sectoral data management specialist.

Finally, according to Juan Diego Chang, statistics specialist of the PiNN project, an approach with projects financed by the European Union has been contemplated in the departments where the PiNN project operates to identify synergies; in this sense, a meeting was held with officials of the Ambient Actions Project of the department of Quetzaltenango, to coordinate actions and advance in the scaling up of the systems, as well as their use.