Experiences of Household Food Insecurity in Rural Colombia: Qualitative Analysis of Women Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

Women's views on the consequences of household food insecurity (FIS) are underexplored in Colombia. This study explored women's perspectives on the influence of household FIS on their family's health and dietary diversity.We carried out qualitative research in two departments in Colombia (Cauca and Caquetá). We recruited women from 14 smallholder farmers associations and conducted 22 in‐depth interviews (IDIs) (11 in each department). IDIs were conducted in Spanish using a semi‐structured, pilot tested, in‐depth interview guide. All IDIs were digitally recorded. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim into Spanish, translated into English, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.In a preliminary analysis, we identified key themes around women's experiences with FIS. Most of the 22 women indicated that they could provide food for their families. However, they struggled to purchase nutritious and diverse foods because of the high cost of fruits and vegetables. Women emphasized the importance of eating fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. They worried that not having these foods available in their households limited their children's consumption of healthy foods and negatively impacted their children's health. Many women indicated that, while it was not the main worry, accessing healthy foods was also a concern for their partners. They described how the worries around access to food contributed to stress in the household. Women coped with difficulties in food access in a variety of ways, such as obtaining loans from family, friends, and neighbors, using a store's layaway service, or consuming products from their own farms. Together, these initial findings provide insights on the range of adverse consequences of FIS from the perspectives of women.A rich understanding of how women smallholder farmers in Cauca and Caquetá experience FIS can help agriculture programs be responsive to the needs articulated by women in these departments. The results of this study provide in‐depth knowledge of the food security challenges that women smallholder farmers in two departments face, enabling appropriate planning of future interventions targeting this population.Support or Funding InformationRollins School of Public Health, Emory University; UN WFP Colombia (country office, sub‐offices of Pasto, Florencia, and Cali); Universidad Nacional de Colombia; and UN Women