Why do nearly 40 percent of Latin Americans suffer from moderate to severe food insecurity? The root causes are explored in the new paper Addressing Food Security and Land Right Challenges in Latin America. On 29 October, SIANI’s expert group on Land Rights in Latin America will present the findings at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP16.
SIANI’s expert group Land Rights in Latin America has previously published a report on Environmental and Climate Justice, with a thorough analysis of the links between land use, climate justice, violence and governance. The recently published annex to the report, Addressing Food Security and Land Right Challenges in Latin America, takes an even closer look at the region’s pressing food issues.
The paper, available in English and Spanish, provides a snapshot of drivers of food insecurity, for example:
- The economic model. The dominating economic practices drive deforestation, disrupt ecosystems and impact local livelihoods.
- The large agroindustry. Agroindustrial companies are expanding across Latin America which often undermines the ability of rural and indigenous communities to establish resilient food systems.
- Extractivism and mining. These activities impact vulnerable ecosystems and can threaten food security by contaminating water sources and causing droughts.
- Inequality and insecure land rights. The unequal distribution of land and the absence of clear legal frameworks prevent communities from building resilient food systems. It is especially hard for rural and indigenous communities to sustain themselves and they are often exposed to violence.
- Climate change. Agricultural cycles are increasingly being disrupted by climate change, worsening food insecurity in the region.
The SIANI expert group seeks to raise awareness of these interrelated challenges and show that it is possible to shift from intensive monoculture to sustainable agricultural practices. The expert group advocates for a regional response that includes fair land distribution, food sovereignty and environmental conservation.
On 29 October, the expert group will organize a side event on the topic at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 in Colombia. The event Biodiversity, Land Use Change and the Implications for Conflict in Latin America is held in the conference’s open Green Zone and will discuss the security challenges posed by the current loss of biodiversity linked to land use changes and ways to address those challenges in a regional context.