Study trip to Shanghai: my biases and expectations

Since January it has been a busy two-month period here at the IMSD Master at EOI but now suddenly after all the projects, presentations and exams the time has come to pack and get ready to go… where? To Shanghai for a study trip!

The “theme” of this study trip is “How to make business in China”. The plan is to have academic sessions and conferences at a partner University (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, apparently one of the top 5 in China) to learn about China’s history, culture and values as well as about its political, economic system and regulations, in order to be able to negotiate and build on business partnerships accordingly. Then, with the goal to have a bigger picture, the program provides also to perform visit to companies to have a look at practical cases.

I have not really had time to think about the trip but now I am quite excited about this opportunity. I am open to what it will provide. Actually, what are my expectations from this trip? What are my biases when thinking of China?

I think of China and what first hits my mind is its economic power: the second largest economy since 2011. In fact, China has experienced an enormous economic growth. Data are clear and are striking: in current USD currency the Gross Domestic Product in 1990 was 356.9 million; in 2012 its GDP is 8,227 trillion USD (World Bank data). It means a tremendous and continuous growth rate always higher than 7,6% with peaks of 14,2%.

The second thing is that China – with its 1,351 billion people – it is the most populous country in the world. This massive economic expansion also drove a massive pollution in the industrial areas and in the cities: I hope it will not be as bad as in some pictures online…

But right after this I am invested about China’s paradoxes. First, the inequality. The benefits of the economic growth of the last 20-25 years have not been spread and shared equally among all the social classes: even if the GDP per capita increased from USD 314 in 1990 up to USD 6,091 in 2012, the growth has not been homogenous. The income gap between rich and poor has raised with a peak in 2008 as it was finally publicly recognized last year by Ma Jiantang, the head of the National Bureau of Statistics in this article from Reuters (Yao and Wang, 2013). The value of the GINI coefficient (a measure of income disparity) now stands at 0.474 with strong differences especially between rural China and urban context and Ma said this urges for reforms of the income distribution system.

Then its peculiarity of being a socialist country but open to capitalism: a single party state, ruled by the Communist Party of China (CCP). The party has the monopoly and runs a policy of strict control on the people and on the information they can access.

This leads to the next point: I think of the issue of human rights and labour conditions and about its limitations of freedom of editorial content and access to the information. For instance, as reported by BBC (BBC News, China Country Profile) China has the largest online population, yet the most extensive monitoring and control over the Internet through an advanced and extensive filtering system (called the “Great Firewall of China” by Reporters Without Borders, RSF) with thousands and thousands of web sites blocked. China is one of the few countries where Google is not the first search engine: it comes third behind Baidu and Soso. Well this is indicative but actually not necessarily a bad point.

Do I have only negative thoughts? Not at all, I have great expectations from its culture that stretches back 4000 years. I am curious to see how the university addresses the students. Here at EOI we are continuously stimulated to “wear our critical hat”, participate to the classes making questions and – in a constructive way – doubting what the professors, the professionals and the lecturers are illustrating. Is this is the same approach we will find at the Chinese partner university? I doubt it but I am curious to experience the Chinese teaching way.

As for the visit to the companies, over Europe and in the US there is a growing trend towards the implementation of corporate social responsibility: the implementation of these practices is more and more regarded as a competitive advantage. What is it like in a Chinese company? Well, it will be interesting and challenging to spot how they manage them.

I was really insecure whether to choose Portland in the US (the other option for the EOI study trip, with a program more focused on sustainability and thus closer to my IMSD Master), or Shanghai. At the end I picked the Chinese destination because I felt Portland closer to my experience – cultural and professional – but I am attracted by diversity, a concept which – as a passionate traveller – I always find enriching.

So, with these pictures in mind, I am sure it will be very stimulating to “touch and feel” directly such a different environment.

Comments Off on Study trip to Shanghai: my biases and expectations / 28 Feb 2014 por guidopreti
IMSD /

Population Growth: A problem without solution?

Our generation is probably facing the toughest challenge in human history. The present world population is 7 billion while in 1950 it was only 2.53 billion. The socio-economic implications of this massive increase in population are huge as all these people require of earth resources for shelter, food and energy. The high consumption rates and therefore wastes and emissions have led to a crisis situation where the long-term consequences are unpredictable. Climate change, poverty and environmental degradation are all an effect of this population increase, therefore the only way to successfully tackle these problems is through population control. The question is how to achieve a sustainable level of population that is in accordance with the world’s carrying capacity. As Paul Ehrlich stated in his book The Population Bomb, it is either population control or race to oblivion.

History reveals two ways in which nations have seen (or tried) a reduction in population:

1) Enforce population control policies. The famous one-child policy of China is the best example. This has proven to be the wrong approach as families prefer to have a male descendent, causing a huge difference in the ratio between male and female populations, having huge sociological implications (i.e. a lot girls put up for adoption).

It is also worth mentioning that a lot of new extremist groups, like “The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement” that advocate non-breeding have arisen in western societies, attempting to influence policy makers and civil society.

2) Achieve stable population through development. As seen in Europe in the last decades, most developed nations have achieved a stable or even a fall in population as a result of development. As women are introduced in the workforce they do not have time to take care of a lot of children, and as middle class flourishes there is less need for families to have a lot of children to sustain their parents (as pension systems appear too).

The second of the two approaches mentioned above is likely to be the most successful manner to ensure a sustainable population. It is common knowledge that rich nations have lower birthrates than poor nations, therefore if countries with huge birthrates like Ethiopia (total fertility rate 6.2 children per women) manage to achieve a decent level of development it is very likely that fertility trends will change. It is estimated that by 2050 the global population will be around 9 billion. It is countries like China, Pakistan, Nigeria and specially India (with the largest contribution to population increase with an estimated addition of 570 million more people by 2050) that will make the change (UN Population Challenges and Development Goals Report 2005). On the other side, developed nations like Russia, Japan and Italy will see a considerable fall.

(Source: United Nations population division)

However, the problem of the development approach resides in the fact that in order for these countries to develop, they must experience a phase of growth in which they increase their economic activity. This can lead to increases in populations until they achieve the desired outcome (as the case for India and China, which are developing at a fast rate but also increasing their population disproportionally) thus boosting the global problems caused by population increases (pollution, scarcity…). So the dilemma is that the intended solution can escalate into bigger problems. Another factor to take into consideration is cultural and religious differences. For example, back in the 1950’s in Spain most of the population were devoted Catholics which were willing to have a numerous family as good Christians, but as the transition to democracy and a more neo-liberal economic system kicked in, a change in culture was visible, as families were having less and less children. Will countries in the Middle East and certain parts of Africa follow this path? It is a mystery for the time being, but as it happened in western societies, if women are accepted into the work force it is very likely that they will also follow the same path.

Below are some links related to the subject matter:

1) Hans Rosling documentary, in which he defends the theory that if all nations reach a certain level of development, world population growth will stop (at aprox. 11 million people)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nvdeEi2mEc

2) David Attenborough, BBC’s famous documentary presenter talking about the issue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN06tLRE4WE

REFERENCES

– Feltham, Colin (2009), The Guardian, “An uncomfortable truth”, http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/feb/27/population-control-climate-change

– http://www.overpopulation.org/pop-sustainability.html

– United Nations Population Challenges and Development Goals, 2005,

http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/pop_challenges/Population_Challenges.pdf

Comments Off on Population Growth: A problem without solution? / 28 Feb 2014 por alvarohernandez
IMSD /

Conditional cash transfer: impact over food security and poverty reduction

The Bolsa Familia programme in Brazil as a social policy fostering economic development

There is a tight link between rural development and poverty: hunger, poverty and health vulnerability are usually concentrated in rural areas. How can governments break the vicious circle connecting these three elements? How to interrupt their intergenerational transmission and reduce future poverty?

Social welfare and safety net programs for sure can help a lot in the short term but there are concerns over their effectiveness in a durable way, with criticisms saying they create dependency, disincentives for work or make poverty “more comfortable” (Schneider, 2014).

Yet the conditional cash transfer programme Bolsa Familia (PBF) launched more than 10 years ago in Brazil so far proved to be successful in reducing poverty and increasing food security. The PBF is one of the three policy pillars of the wider national cross-sectorial strategy called Fome Zero (Zero Hunger, launched by the former President Lula in 2003) which recognizes the strong connection between poverty reduction, food security, and support for small-scale agriculture (the other two pillars being The Alimentação Escolar – for free school meals – and The Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar – strengthening family agriculture) (Oxfam case study, 2010).

The PBF consists of a stable monthly allowance granted to families below the extreme poverty line (US$ 1,25 per day according to the World Bank) of about US$19 per child to a maximum of 5 children. The money is credited on electronic cards preferably issued on behalf of women. The conditionality consists in the strict obligation for the children to attend school until they’re 17 and to have regular health checks.

According to this presentation (FAO, 2011) as of September 2011 the PBF programme had already reached more than 12 million families and 48 million people over 5500 municipalities, making it the largest cash transfer programme in the world.

With a total cost of 1% of its GDP Brazil has managed to promote the immediate relief of poverty and – through the conditionalities – it strengthened the access to basic social rights (education, health and social care). This program has helped million of people to buy adequate food in a country where the main problem is the access to it, not the production (Oxfam case study, 2010) and it also supported the emergence of small businesses in poor areas (due to the increase in household consumption).

“Between 2003 and 2009, over 20 million people were removed from poverty, particularly in rural areas, where 5 million people found a way out of it” (Da Silva, Del Grossi, De Franca, 2011). PBF helped Brazil progress: inequality cut by 17% in just five years; poverty rate fallen from 42.7% to 28.8%. (Bunting, 2010). To note that Brazil it is the only BRICS country in which income inequality has decreased from the early 1990s to the late 2000s (Ivins, 2013)

These positive achievements over food security and poverty reduction recalled a large interest: this approach was taken as a model and internationalized as a tool for hunger reduction (Kilpatrick, Beghin, 2010) with adaptations in almost 20 countries such as Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, and Morocco. Even New York City announced its “Opportunity NYC” conditional transfer of income program. (World Bank, 2013).

From this perspective, the PBF can be seen as an example of how emerging economies can play a leading role in the international arena of aid and development (Bunting, 2010).

Comments Off on Conditional cash transfer: impact over food security and poverty reduction / 28 Feb 2014 por guidopreti
IMSD /

TRIP TO CHINA

As the fastest growing economy in the world and one the most influential countries, it is a pleasure and an honor to travel there for a week and a half in order to study their business styles. The excitement built during these days is huge as china not only has completely different businesses but also a wonderful culture that has seen constant change: from the quing dynasty to the people’s republic of china, and now experiencing an unprecedented economic growth.

The first thing I consider when travelling there and in particular when doing the business is the cultural differences. As I haven’t been there before I do not know first hand what the cultural barriers will be, but I assume that they will be huge. Therefore anticipitating and particularly respecting their culture will be a must when getting to know company’s and individuals. I also believe that language will be a barrier, but considering that most chinese people, specially my generation, are learning Enlgish I believe it will not be hard to communicate. Also Shanghai is the biggest city in the wolrd (in terms of population), covering an area of more that 300km squared. So unlike the rural areas of china, people in Shanghai will be a lot more educated in what languages refers.

My personal perception (mainly influenced by western popular culture) of chinese business is that they are very hard-working, responsible and respectful with traditions. Therefore I will go there with these assumptions and trying to experience all the differences the east side of the world has to offer.

Comments Off on TRIP TO CHINA / 28 Feb 2014 por alvarohernandez
IMSD /

Farmers’ Market: Bringing Rural Flavour Into The City

When it comes to the public opinion, rural areas can evoke poverty, a distant location where farmers are attached to their lands unable to play a role that will make them part of the urban scenery as well.

This superficial image of farmers’ potential and skills was the incentive behind the creation of a project aiming to establish a weekly farmers’ market in Lebanon.

This market will promote organically produced goods of local producers, and will moreover support small-scale farmers for a direct-to-consumer marketing.

In a small country like Lebanon where you can go from Beirut the capital to the village in less than one hour, talking about an urban-rural blend is a possibility far from fiction.

In an aim to bring these two worlds together, the idea of an “Organic Farmers’ Market” was born, as a tentative to link urban residents to producers living in the geographic vicinity, and therefore strengthen the linkages among the two communities

This project is a partnership between a private company making its mark in corporate social responsibility and the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU), in the American University of Beirut.

This development project aims to foster an idea that translates Lebanon’s attachment to its roots and tradition. By bringing the rural flavor into the city, the challenging situation of the farmers will be addressed.

Based on a study by the United Nations Development Program about 28.5 per cent of the Lebanese population, including rural people, lives below the upper poverty line of US$4 a day, 8 per cent of which is under the lower poverty line of US$2 a day.

The poorest people live in the rural areas and are mainly small farmers, livestock herders, fishers, and women who are heads of households.

Farmers live in isolated communities, with limited access to credit and banking services necessary to engage in income-generating activities.

The vulnerability of the Lebanese rural areas is repeatedly put to the test. The 2006 hostilities caused damage to the country’s entire economic sector, infrastructure, agriculture and forests. According to an assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in 2006, the damage that affected the agricultural sector, attained US$280 million. The war came as an added burden, complicating an already complicated situation.

Therefore, the Farmers’ market puts a strong emphasis on local capacity development and organisational strengthening of small-scale farmers, through:

Capacity-Building trainings of producers on best cultural practices
Engaging the local knowledge and culture of the producers which will increase their participation and commitment
Linking producers to urban consumers to enhance direct-to-consumer sales and rural-urban linkages.
Building partnerships among producers, cooperatives and municipalities.

Although some small-scale initiatives have been developed to promote the marketing of sustainable agro-biodiversity products, many small-scale rural producers in different regions still have difficulties in accessing such markets and information on better practices.

The main objective of the project is focused on promoting organic farming with certification to enhance environmental sustainability and improve the marketing of the locally produced organic products for small-scale producers and/or cooperatives.

Nowadays, poverty is being seen as an opportunity for development rather than a problem that is being marginalised.

The social perception is changing from simple assumptions to supporting innovative initiatives that tend to tackle a problem by adding different actors to the sustainability equation.

“A robust regional food system, that benefits eaters and farmers cannot be achieved in a marketplace that is controlled, top to bottom, by a few firms and that rewards only scale, not innovation, quality or sustainability” (Wenonah Hauter)

Sources :

ESDU https://www.aub.edu.lb/units/esdu/Pages/index.aspx

Lebanon’s Economy http://www.ghazi.de/agrar.html
http://www.beirut.com/l/27798

Article from The Daily Star Newspaper;

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Culture/Lifestyle/2013/Aug-23/228304-from-seed-to-spread-at-zicos-farmers-market.ashx#axzz2ud4jBNxD

Other Farmers’ Markets in Lebanon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souk_el_Tayeb

Comments Off on Farmers’ Market: Bringing Rural Flavour Into The City / 28 Feb 2014 por rimaelkhoury
IMSD /

FOOD WASTE

An old lady, hunched, approaches to the heap of fruits that are piled in the hallways of a downtown market in Madrid. The fruits that are going to be thrown away because they are old and cannot be sold anymore. No matter, the woman with a bag on his arm and hands encased in plastic gloves, inspects gender and selected parts that she will take home. The picture is not new, but in recent years has become an increasingly frequent print.

In a time when efficiency is becoming they key word for development and sustainability, we can´t forget to be efficient in our consumption, not only in the energy field, also we need efficiency in the food consumption. Although few would agree to pull one of the shopping bags as they get home from the supermarket, Europeans throw away annually 89 million tonnes of edible food, Spain wasted an average of 163 kilos per person, totaling 7.7 million tons per year.

The entire food chain is responsible for this waste, from the production to the table, although the most private waste, 42% of the total. The first step in the food chain is the producers and the food industry, at this stage lost 39% of foods.

In the field no food is thrown, except the one that is thrown into crisis when the market sinks. The most recent was because of E.coli, the summer of 2011, which ended with tons of cucumbers and seasonal vegetables in the container because the health alert launched from Germany detracted prices and consumption of these vegetables.

There are 85,230 restaurants in Spain. In their kitchens they waste more than 63,000 tonnes of food a year-twice wasted two decades ago, according to a report from Unilever Food Solutions supported by the Spanish Federation of Hotels and Restaurants (FEHR). According to the study, 60% of this waste is the result of a bad forecast when making the purchase. Another 30% is wasted during the preparation of meals and only 10% is what diners plate, the real waste is left.

The final trip of any food, fresh or processed, are consumers, the biggest spenders of the whole chain (42% of total). Responsible for a poor planning but victims of packages that do not fit their needs and confusing labeling.

How to improve our “Food Efficiency” in every step of the food chain?

In the first step of the chain, producers can donate their food to Food Banks, where food is managed to give it to the people that need it, because it is food that they can´t sell due to the “beauty” of the product but it is 100% edible.

Large restaurant chains such as Grupo Vips, have computer systems to calculate the amounts of each dish sold daily, allowing them to estimate the necessary amount of food to be prepared before ordering.

Also in the last step of the chain it is needed more education and awareness from the consumer.

So one more time the ball is in our roof, are we going to face the problem? Or will we continue with our routine?.

Comments Off on FOOD WASTE / 28 Feb 2014 por marioescamilla
IMSD /

Possible Business Etiquettes in China

Saturday the 1^st of March, 2014 will be my first time that my golden legs will touch the fastest growing economy in the world called China. China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

There are a lot of things I expect to see in china because of what I have heard from friends who have visited there. I have read a lot about them in the media too. Respect for people’s country and culture is upheld very much there. I expect to take advantage of their friendly nature to create a long term business relationship with my contacts there.

Food is an important part of every society and it is at lunch and dinner that most business discussions take place. I will try as much I can to eat a little of everything on my table. I will probably be asking my host to order more food so our discussion can be prolong for both parties to leave the table satisfactory. It will be a win-win affair at the end of the day. Am prepared for many toast to future cooperation and will make at least one toast during my meal, I will also try and clink my glass to the bottom of theirs as a sign of respect.

Business care: it is a beginning of a business relationship and also an opportunity for me to show my desire to start a business relationship with them and since it is most highly recommendable in China to accept business cards with your both hands and hold it very firmly so that the receiver has to rip it out of your hands. I am going to play along respectful as the rule or the protocol demands.

Language is very important in every aspect of our life. In Madrid for this few months has shown me that hola is not enough to take you to every where but I will try and learn few sentences not only to impress them but may be will have an impact on them there since I cannot take translator with me all the time.

Smiling is not a weakness and smiling to a Chinese is like a handshake among the westerners. It is the most common way of communication when people meet. Ghanaians expect fixed eye contact when having a discussion with you but on the contrary because of the authoritarian nature of the Chinese society I learnt eye contact is view as a gesture of challenge, which I will not do in China

Until I got to Spain I never knew I speak very fast and since it is very hard for non -English speakers to understand me I am going to slow down when am talking to a China since they do not like people repeating words after them and it is considered us impolite.

Last but not the least I have never smoke before but since Chinese consider smoking as a normal thing to do in most business environment, I will tolerate them to smoke so that they can listen to me longer. Am going to adapt and learn and more about the Chinese business customs. Am more then excited to see CHINA

Reference:

http://www.astm.org/BusLink/BusLinkA01/Chan.html

Comments Off on Possible Business Etiquettes in China / 28 Feb 2014 por mavisasare
IMSD /

Great Women in Farming

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.”
― Joseph Conrad

Farming has been the preserve of men with majority of women working as farm hands assisting with farm work. However, the 20^th century has seen woman managing sizeable acres of farmland.

Many women in farming grow up in villages, live in huts have no or little education. However, being trained in the use of vaccines, fertilizers have empowered them in their farming activities.

Research has shown that income earned by women goes directly to support the family, purchase groceries, fund education and health care. Income also provides a sense of independence and well-being for the women. Today, villagers in some of the most deprived areas are financially secure which sustains dairy production.

Women in Farming – Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, an FAO project which was aimed at resourcing women farmers raised the capacity of thousands of smallholders’ farmers to produce milk. This has led to the establishment of viable and functional dairy enterprises, contributing to improved family nutrition, food security, and income and employment generation. In the vast majority of cases, that benefits the household.

Afghanistan has witnessed 20 years of war and civil unrest. Yet today, some 28 000 chicken coops, constructed by the women who participated in the two projects, provide visible confirmation of the FAO projects’ importance to village women across Afghanistan. During the three years of the first project, participants produced 106 metric tonnes of poultry meat and 21 million eggs, out of which only 7.5 million were consumed by their families. The project affords the women the chance to meet their neighbours, discuss other common family issues, to socialize and to learn about poultry production

Thus, the projects had the added benefit of increasing women’s knowledge of family nutrition, hygiene and health issues. Therefore should all women in farming villages or towns receive these opportunities being given by the FAO, there will be an improvement in their standard of living.

Challenges

Women in farming also encounter impediments which negatively affect their productivity and well being. There is the Lack of funds and the lack of knowledge on how to increase yield and sales. In Burkina Faso although mostly women are involved in millet production, they cannot access the mills and do not receive revenue from the selling of millet. Thus, they are dependent on resources from their spouses.

Celebrating Women in Farming

International Women’s Day on March 8 provides an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of rural women in farming around the world., said rural women produce half the world’s food, and account for between 60 to 80 percent of the food in most developing countries. She said the global food crisis could be overcome more quickly if food production and trading systems recognized the value of family farms, and especially the labour of women. “She said. “The chronic loss of farmers around the world is one symptom of a global food crisis.”

Conclusion

There are questions about high-input, industrial model of agriculture with its dependence on exports. A wave of change is happening across the world in the form of a “local food” movement, with women leading the way. This is focused on food production that supports environmental sustainability, food quality and safety, and economic fairness in the marketplace.

Reference:

http://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/women-mainmenu-39

http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsummit/english/fsheets/women.pdf

http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/about/issues/gender

Comments Off on Great Women in Farming / 28 Feb 2014 por mavisasare
IMSD /

A Child bearing a Child

Her name is Nabena. She is just 15 years old and she already has a child. She was forced to get married and as a result she had to drop out of school. For Nabena, motherhood was the end of her education and the beginning of a struggle to earn a living for her child.

Nabena is just a child bearing another child. Life for her has been far from easy, but she still can be seen as blessed young girl given the fact that both she and her child survived during the birth. It is estimated by the WFP that around half of all pregnant women in developing countries are anaemic causing around 110,000 deaths during child birth each year.

She is from Malawi, home to almost 7 million children. This landlocked agricultural country has ranked since the 1990s among the top 20 least developing countries according to the Human Development Index. One in every five Malawians lives in extreme poverty with less than $0.20 a day. Poverty therefore threatens the most fundamental rights of children who account for 51% of the country´s population.

Amongst children malnutrition is catastrophic and it is the most powerful contributor to child mortality. Even though several programs have been implemented aiming at improving the living conditions of children, no change has been made in regards to the children´s nutritional status since 1992.

It is widely known that the causes of malnutrition are numerous and interrelated. Poor childcare practices, lack of access to nutrients and the appearance of some chronic diseases are just some examples. But what is the role of women in fighting this tremendous challenge?

“They have a crucial role to play in defeating hunger. As mothers, farmers, teachers and entrepreneurs, they hold the key to building a future free of malnutrition.” (WFP)

For this reason, education and more specifically women´s education should be seen as one of the most important tools for combating malnutrition. There is evidence that shows that there is a strong link between educated women and reduction in child mortality. Educated women are prone to immunize their children as well as to improve their nutritional status. If they are aware of the best feeding practices, malnutrition among their children should experience a decrease.

In fact, one study showed that women’s education contributed to 43% of the reduction in child malnutrition over time, while food availability accounted only for 26%. Therefore, it is extremely important to consider the role that women play in determining the well being of their children. More attention should be given to women´s empowerment and education in countries such as Malawi where women are constantly being deprived of their right to education due to pregnancy and marriage.

Comments Off on A Child bearing a Child / 28 Feb 2014 por inescamarero
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How to produce food in rural areas? It may not be easy…

As astonishing as it seems, in many rural areas populations suffer hunger and even malnutrition. In some places it doesn´t go as far as suffering hunger but there is a lack of quality food that leads to health problems that come from an unbalanced diet. A lot of you might wonder with me, how is this possible? Aren´t the rural areas the ones producing food?

In many regions rural poverty and rural hunger specially are caused by climate conditions, land property problems, war, unstable food markets and the fact that the farmers grow crops to sell that aren´t necessary a source of food or at least not on their own (coffee, tobacco, soy, sugar cane, only to name a few). But there are some regions where these are not that determinant issues and rural families could grow different kinds of crops and vegetables to guarantee balanced diets without drastic transformations: with a relatively low investment they could access seeds to grow their own food. But many communities have lost their food traditions that ensured a proper nutrition because of the large scale agricultural models and the migration of young people to the cities for employment opportunities. So a new question arises: will the access to seeds for food guarantee a healthy diet?

It´s in this matter where I believe schools can play a key role. In many rural areas schools provide a daily meal for the children and it´s a place for socialization for the whole family. So the influence they can have in teaching healthy food habits is great.

Many governments, international agencies and NGOs have decided to approach rural development with projects that are based in schools and that aim to improve nutritional habits from the educative institutions as a starting point.

The projects I find especially interesting are the ones where children grow in their own school a vegetable organic garden. Children not only learn how to grow their own food but healthy and safe ways to consume it. Also, they can be agents of change.

Huerta Niño Foundation is a NGO in Argentina focused in reducing child malnutrition. They have already helped 200 schools to create their own vegetable garden, helping them install not only the garden but the irrigation system and training for it to be sustainable in time and environmentally. in their families and communities.

If education towards food security is also done in a participative process, including the whole community, it could be the base of food sovereignty of that population. A good example of this kind or projects is “ProHuerta”, an initiative carried out in Argentina by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology. For more than 20 years they have been implementing this project in schools but also in communities and with families in poverty. The project offers technical support and the resources for the people to build their own vegetable organic gardens. “The result of the convergence of the local knowledge, the technical assistance, and the innovative ways of producing healthy organic food based in participative and collaborative approaches promotes social integration and cohesion. It also generates territorial rooting and food security for the most vulnerable population, with their own capacities as a starting point.”

I believe these leanings are inspiring, because food habits are part of a community´s tradition. So including their previous knowledge through participative processes might be determinant for the success of these kinds of initiatives, and for a real sustainable outcome.

Some references