Strategies for dealing with access to food in households in the department of Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

The article presents the findings from a qualitative study in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, whose objective was to identify the strategies employed by households during situations involving critical access to food. Based on the perspective of targeted ethnography, information was collected in nine municipalities using individual and group interviews with male and female adolescents, adults, and elders in urban and rural areas, with different social roles, besides observations in places related to food. The critical situations for access to food were related to economic, environmental, and social aspects in the municipalities and that affected local availability and accessibility and affordability for families. Food shortages can be temporary or chronic, and the strategies for dealing with them may be situated at the household level, such as limitations on the purchase of certain foods or substitution of certain meals. They may also occur at the social level, such as bartering different foods, solidarity among neighbors and family members, or access to institutional programs. Families that can count on support networks or that produce their own food deal better with such times of difficult access. In conclusion, access to foods goes beyond the household sphere and reaches the social and political levels, thus requiring State actions at various levels to contribute to equity and promote more sustainable food systems.