Leveraging Guatemalan farmers’ existing organization around food sovereignty and agroecology for reducing risk of diet- and pesticide-related noncommunicable diseases

Background

Indigenous farmers in Guatemala are disproportionately affected both by diet- and pesticide-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). While they grow food on their farms, they often sell the most nutritious products and instead purchase cheap calories in obesogenic markets. Meanwhile, some use pesticides on their own land, and others apply pesticides during seasonal plantation labour. Regrettably, diet- and pesticide-related NCDs compound each others’ health impacts, and among mothers, they affect the next generation. For these linked problems, we propose an integrated solution based on existing evidence and practice.

Aims

This participatory action-research project will work in close collaboration with Guatemalan farmers to mobilize food sovereignty and agroecology as resources to strengthen and spread prevention of diet- and pesticide-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Project plan

By increasing production diversity and promoting consumption of own production, it provides nutritious foods and reduces unhealthy purchases. As an organic strategy, it interrupts on-farm pesticide exposure, and by providing a secure livelihood, it reduces labor migration to pesticide-intensive plantations. Mixed methods will address implementation research objectives to assess how agroecology interventions can be strengthened and scaled for health outcomes. We will focus on women of reproductive age (18-49 years old), given intergenerational health effects and gender inequalities.

Our work plan addresses three research questions (RQ):

• RQ1: What external factors create an enabling environment for agroecology to act on NCD risk reduction?

• RQ2: What are the specific internal mechanisms (the who, what, when, where, and how) by which existing agroecology initiatives reduce risk factors for NCDs?

• RQ3: How can action-research communication support evidence-based practices, programs and policies to strengthen health-promoting impact internally and scale impact externally?

RQ1 will be addressed using document review, interviews and environmental mapping to assess political, social, ecological and economic context around agroecology.

RQ2 will be addressed through a longitudinal cohort study applying the validated Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation, as well as through participatory co-learning workshops. The former will evaluate how factors including production diversity, land tenure, women’s empowerment, livelihood strategies, and social equity mitigate NCD risk outcomes variables around dietary quality and pesticide exposure. The latter will assess how such factors operate within farmers’ groups to reduce NCD risk.

RQ3 will be addressed through an action-research communication and advocacy research package that builds local impact around knowledge translation and advocacy into a self-reflective research design.

The project is expected to also produce a global impact given the growing interest in agroecology-health linkages.

Funding organisations

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