Promoting Food Security and Nutrition Through Public Officials Training in Guatemala

• The CATIE, with the support of local authorities, enhances the capabilities of officials from the municipality of San Cristóbal, in Totonicapán.

February 20, 2024. The National Nutrition Information Platform (PiNN) project, from CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), in coordination with members of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of San Cristóbal in the department of Totonicapán, Guatemala, conducted the first training workshop on food security and nutrition.

The event was attended by managerial and technical personnel from municipal departments and offices, as well as institutional representatives that make up the Municipal Commission for Food Security and Nutrition (COMUSAN) of the municipality.

"The goal was to strengthen capabilities and knowledge about information and data on the nutritional situation of the municipality. The Municipal Information System for Food Security and Nutrition (SIMSAN) of the municipality was introduced, along with technological tools for monitoring governance in food security and nutrition," reported Martha María Pacay, public policy and advocacy specialist for the PiNN project.

Gabriela Ogaldes, a nutrition specialist for the PiNN project, addressed the situation of some nutritional indicators, as well as the conceptualization of malnutrition issues, which included topics such as acute and chronic malnutrition, overweight, obesity, and micronutrient deficiency, which contribute to improving evidence-based decision-making.  

Additionally, work was done on normalizing basic knowledge of nutrition and on the importance of using data to report on the nutritional status of the municipality's children, showing changes and trends, and the expected benefit of having data available for decision-making.

Another important topic addressed in the workshop was governance in food security and nutrition, through the G-SAN tool, which allows for the systematization of a self-assessment of governance, conducted by members of the Municipal Commissions for Food Security and Nutrition (COMUSAN), using algorithms that combine data from 31 variables and seven indicators to define an index of governance in food security and nutrition. As part of the activity, participants conducted an exercise to analyze the indicators and variables of the highest and lowest governance indices of the municipality.

Ninoshka Lou, communicator for the PiNN project, presented the municipality's SIMSAN, indicating that its objective is to provide inputs and information to improve the care of families in vulnerable situations through multisectoral coordination at the departmental and municipal levels. With the participants, she went through the platform to raise awareness about the importance of institutional data and the potential of working together based on strategic information to make better decisions.

Julia King, head of the Municipal Women's Directorate of San Cristóbal Totonicapán, mentioned that the topics covered in the training were important for the benefit of the population because often the information is not known, such as the malnutrition rate. With these trainings, we are receiving more knowledge and, together with other institutions, we will be able to better cover interventions in the municipality.

Finally, José María Menchú, municipal syndic, thanked the support of CATIE and the European Union in Guatemala, the executor and donor of the PiNN project, respectively, for the training provided, which leads to the professional improvement of the institutions in charge of the comprehensive care of food security and nutrition of the municipality. "For us, it is very useful because it makes us aware that data should be used to measure the intensity of the problem," concluded Menchú.