Guatemala

Food Security Framework | Key Population Groups

The most food insecure socio-economic groups in Guatemala are:

  • Landless rural households

  • Rural smallholder farmers

  • Artisan fishermen with no or little access to land in coastal areas

  • Low wage workers in urban and semi-urban areas

     

    The rural smallholder farmers also supplement income as informal day laborers. Both groups migrate and work in the informal sector, although to a lesser degree.

 

Food security classification per livelihood zone

The largest proportion of food insecure households lives in livelihood zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 18 and 20. In zone 8 the most food insecure population lives in the Ch?orti area (in Chiquimula). Of these zones, zones 5 and 18 are considered to be the most food insecure (see map 1).

 

Within the food insecure groups mentioned above, the rural, indigenous population is, on average, poorer and more food insecure than the non-indigenous population. This is measured by chronic malnutrition in children under five years of age, where the proportion of malnutrition prevalence is three times more common in indigenous children[1]. Inequality can also be measured in access to education, income, health, credit, and the human development index. Children under five years of age, and pregnant and lactating women are considered to be the most vulnerable population within whichever group, both biologically and socially.


[1] ENSMI, Encuestra Nacional de Salud Materno Infantil, 2002.

 

 
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