Bringing the right to food closer to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean

23/10/2024

Although food is a basic human right, like air and water, more than 2.4 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet worldwide. This means that one-third of the global population is not getting the essential nutrients they need for their full development. That's why World Food Day, commemorated on October 16, focused on "The Right to Food for a Better Life and Future" as a call to action for everyone to help ensure access to healthy, nutritious, and affordable diets.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) works with multiple stakeholders in the region: from producers to governments, including academia, civil society, indigenous peoples, and youth, to build resilience in agri-food systems, foster greater crop diversity, improve environmental sustainability, and ensure people can access nutritious food.

From this support work, women, men, boys, and girls within these same communities are emerging as agents helping to realize the right to food for all, nourishing communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, and creating positive change even under challenging circumstances.

These resilient, passionate, and committed people are the true protagonists of World Food Day, and their stories inspire us to take actions that generate impacts to achieve a better life, leaving no one behind.

Cultivating connections to transform rural communities in Jamaica

Nickay Henry's path to agriculture is deeply rooted in her family's history. "My grandparents were farmers, and farming has always been their way of life," she shares. Her love for agriculture led her to further her education, paving the way for her future role in rural development.

Since 2016, Nickay has been an extension agent for the Kitson Town Rural Agricultural Development Authority. One of the main obstacles she faces is organizing training sessions for farmers. "Sometimes it's difficult to get them to participate because of their educational level, they tend to shy away from large crowds," she notes. To overcome this, Nickay adapts her training sessions to small groups or individual interactions, ensuring each farmer receives the support they need.

Nickay is a crucial figure in the "Improving Rural Livelihoods through Resilient Agri-Food Systems" project. This initiative, part of the United Nations South-South Cooperation, is funded by the Government of India and implemented by FAO and the Government of Jamaica. The project provides training and climate-smart solutions to boost sustainable agriculture.

"I try to encourage these farmers to move away from traditional practices. This project will help with capacity building and improve productivity," she says. One of the project's highlights is the introduction of protective structures and irrigation systems, a significant change from the rainfed methods traditionally used in Kitson Town, a climate-vulnerable area.

Nickay is optimistic about the project's long-term benefits: "The training will help farmers to help others, even those not part of the project. It's a good thing, especially for those who had to leave school early," she says.

"These farmers and community members will be better able to provide adequate food for the community and the nation," she emphasizes. For Nickay Henry, the project is more than a task: it's a mission to improve her community. Her work in Kitson Town is a testament to the power of dedicated individuals to drive rural development and transform lives.

Sowing seeds of change in Nicaragua's classrooms

Tomás Peralta is a teacher with over 20 years of experience. Since 2015, he has been a teacher at the Lila Incer school in the municipality of Teustepe, in the Dry Corridor of Nicaragua.

His routine is multifaceted, moving from classrooms to connecting with the environment through the management of agri-food systems at the agroecological production unit established in 2021 with technical assistance from FAO.

"Being in a school with the mission of transmitting knowledge changes your life. My mission is to teach not only classroom knowledge but also more demonstrative learning," he says.

The teacher explained that they work with environmentally friendly technologies in sustainable and agroecological agriculture. "We have a zoo nursery to encourage students to love and care for nature."

One of their successful experiences has been the involvement of the entire educational community, including parents, teachers, former students, and producers from neighboring communities who voluntarily work on maintaining exotic birds, a tilapia aquaculture system, and establishing open and macro-tunnel production systems. "We have had former students who now have careers as animal scientists and veterinarians who come to do their internships here, and others who are local farmers and producers who train us," he notes.

"We all need food, and we also need to be committed to knowing how to produce it." That's why he would like his school to be a model from which other teachers, parents, and the Ministry of Education could promote this initiative in other schools.

Tomás Peralta is not only contributing to his students' education but also planting the seeds of change in his community to build a more sustainable and equitable future where everyone can "achieve access to food for a better life."

From hurricane winds to revitalized agricultural production in Cuba

Misleydis Márquez Barroso, a 41-year-old Cuban woman dedicated to farming in the province of Pinar del Río, faced the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022, which resulted in significant losses in Cuba's agricultural and fisheries sectors, as well as food infrastructure, on an island affected by climate change.

Although accustomed to the impacts of hurricanes in her region, this time, Ian's fury destroyed her crops of vegetables, fresh condiments, and fruits, affecting the availability of healthy food for the local community.

FAO's emergency project responding to the effects of Hurricane Ian, which hit western Cuba on September 27, 2022, funded by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), supported the provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa by distributing 6,200 kilograms of lettuce, Spanish chard, Chinese chard, chives, radishes, beets, and carrots to 51,000 producers, mainly women.

Misleydis was one of them. In addition, she and her community also received training, which allowed her to revitalize her production in a short time. "In just a few months, we came back to life, and this contribution has strengthened us, allowed us to diversify our crops, and ensured the supply of fresh, quality food for our families and the community."

Today, Misleydis proudly sees how her productivity has multiplied, managing to supply a variety of fresh and quality food to care centers, maternity homes, nursing homes, and local sales points. As a result of this intervention, about 537,000 people have benefited from greater availability of nutritious food.