Too many calories, too few nutrients? : a systems approach to food and nutrition security in Guatemala

Abstract: Obesity levels in developing countries are increasing at an alarming rate, while “old” problems such as hunger and undernutrition still persist, creating a paradoxical situation of a double burden of malnutrition. Intertwined with new sustainability challenges such as climate change and land degradation, food, health and sustainability are interconnected in a complex web of relationships, spanning multiple scales, levels and disciplines. It is argued that this complexity should be included in conceptualizations and measurements of food and nutrition security; of which a systems approach is one response to this challenge. Hammond & Dubé (2012) present a systems framework for food and nutrition security, capturing linkages between three different systems and the individual. Few studies have attempted to assess the applicability of such new frameworks on a particular case, leading to a gap between conceptualization and practical use. This thesis aims to fill this gap. Using the framework from Hammond & Dubé (2012) as a mental model and an analytical framework, this thesis investigates the multiple determinants of food and nutrition security in Guatemala. Further, it examines how a systems approach can contribute to the understanding of food and nutrition security. Guatemala was chosen as a case due to severe and complex health challenges, having one of the highest rate of stunting among children under five, while almost half of all adult women are overweight. The 10 linkages between the systems and the individual, presented by Hammond & Dubé (2012), were operationalized, and indicators selected based on existing frameworks for food and nutrition security and external literature. Using different databases, statistics were collected for the years 1995 and 2014 to examine change over time. While recognizing that the framework only represents a “selective abstraction of reality”, this study shows that there are multiple determinants of food and nutrition security in the Guatemalan case. The results highlight the importance of climate vulnerability and the intergenerational component of health. Coupled with processes of poverty, inequality and economic liberalization, and context-specific factors such as land-right disputes and a high percentage of indigenous people, these factors show that food and nutrition security requires a systems approach. The study also indicates that this particular framework leaves out important socio-political aspects and the household level. In sum the framework does shed light on the complexity related to food, health and sustainability, but needs to be further operationalized to have practical value for policy makers and practitioners.