CATIE joins the commemoration of World Food Day in Guatemala

• The country is promoting the search for synergies to "leave no one behind"

October 26, 2022.  Within the framework of World Food Day, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) was invited by the Food Security Commission of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala and the collective of entities focused on children. Joining Forces, to share its experience in actions aimed at combating food and nutrition insecurity, from the integration of education, research and outreach actions.

According to Gabriela Lima, World Vision's advocacy manager in Guatemala, the objective of this activity was to reflect on how to strengthen ties to achieve a joint work that really contributes to reduce the gaps that currently affect access to different services for children and adolescents, mainly food and nutritional security.

In this regard, Lima added that inter-institutional coordination is essential, as well as the participation of decision-makers, civil society, the private sector, academia and research centers, among others, to achieve a greater impact.

Gabriela Ogaldes, CATIE expert in nutrition, presented CATIE's experience and management of issues related to food security and rural development, from the approach of inclusive green development that ensures intergenerational equity, the full participation of different groups of society and the maintenance of the capacity of natural capital to provide the services on which human well-being depends.

Ogaldes mentioned some current challenges and problems that interfere with food and nutrition security, including CO2 emissions, water availability, soil erosion and degradation, as well as the degradation of natural resources and the loss of biodiversity, in addition to population growth and the current and future difficulty in producing food and ensuring food security.

Ogaldes also pointed out that climate change has a direct effect on the availability of food, due to excessive rainfall, floods and droughts, making food availability more difficult, which affects the nutritional and health status of the population.

Recommendations for generating synergies that contribute to food and nutritional security included the construction of common agendas, advocacy activities, socialization of information, transfer of knowledge, development of research, as well as the analysis and use of data for evidence-based decision making.

Every October 16, since 1979, World Food Day is commemorated, a celebration promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the aim of reducing hunger in the world, a purpose also sought by the 2030 Agenda with its goal of zero hunger. The motto of this celebration for 2022 is "leave no one behind".