FROM THE FIELD
reality. For instance, based on official data, we can see that rising food prices over the last year have dumped 450,000 more Guatemalans into extreme poverty. An
appalling figure, no doubt. But to really understand this data, one must talk to people, to one of the thousands of mothers and fathers that suddenly have to choose which of their children they will
send to school because they can no longer afford to educate the others.On Word Food Day (October 16), Oxfam got together with six organisations and networks from Guatemala on a one-day journey
to highlight the situation of poverty and inequality in the country and to demand concrete action from the state to support and value small producers. Although responsible for more than a quarter of
the country’s wealth, the agricultural sector in Guatemala (as in many other developing countries) has been neglected and the lack of support to small producers has left them especially
vulnerable to the global food price crisis.The journey included the presentation of the Oxfam report on the food
price crisis, as well as specific investigations on the situation in Guatemala. Behind the figures, we saw real stories told by dozens of small producers from around the country, who participated in
the event to share their knowledge and to organise a culinary fair. The delicious smell of traditional meals from all over Guatemala undoubtedly helped inspire the debates in the main room.
The stories I heard were very similar: the pride of being part of a sector that is a real motor of Guatemala´s economy, the dissatisfaction of being
neglected by successive governments, and the sadness of not having the necessary resources to struggle against the effects of the rising cost of basic food.Catarina Gómez
Ixtamá was full of pride while explaining to me how she prepares a traditional food from her region called “quichon” ['mixture']. The ingredients must be prepared, mixed and
cooked very carefully to keep the tone and taste of the sausage, to which chicken meat will be added. The final touch is cocoa, a sacred ingredient of their ancestors.But Catarina is not able
to prepare this delicious food other than on special occasions. The reason: she cannot afford the cost of the main ingredients, the same she uses in her daily life, such as maize, tomatoes, onions and
meat, the prices of which have increased beyond her capacity to pay.“It’s sad, it’s sad,” she tells me. “I believe we must find a solution to this problem. When
we talk about food security we must take into account that we must be able to take care of our health. But the high costs of the food are not allowing us to do so. Currently we are between the sword
and the wall. That’s the consequence of the high cost of basic foods.”Teodoro Juracan, a representative of small producers from the Community of San Luis Tolimán,
located in the south-western part of Guatemala, gives a cruder description of the impact of the food price crisis on his family and of his community.“What we gain by selling our products
is barely enough to sustain our homes. First we give up buying new clothes, then we stop buying medicines, and do everything to keep money to buy food. Some families even need to take a decision on
what child they will keep in school, since they cannot afford the costs of keeping all of them studying. Times are hard for us.”
Hard, but
full of hope and will to change the situation. In the following weeks Oxfam, together with other 28 organisations, will launch a national campaign in Guatemala aiming to put pressure on the state to
implement policies to support small producers. We’ll also work with public opinion and consumers in the main cities to open their eyes to value the importance of agriculture to the development
of the country.[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
