Food aid reaches the hungry of Guatemala's 'dry corridor'

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture recently featured a joint food security project with Catholic Relief Services in Guatemala on their USDA Blog. This project features the local purchase of food supplies, including corn, beans and fortified flour, from Guatemalan farmers, adding a increased benefit to the local economy.

The “dry corridor” in Guatemala suffers from annual drought and food shortages that affect the food security and incomes of people in the region. Last year was worse than most—drought followed by devastating floods caused by tropical storms and rain that destroyed crops, increasing food insecurity and child malnutrition.

Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Stephen McFarland and U.S. Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy Robert Hoff visited some of the poorest communities in one of the dry corridor departments. They wanted to see how a joint USDA-Catholic Relief Services (CRS) food assistance project is helping to address the situation.
 
“This project is providing monthly food rations for one year to 3,000 families living in 70 communities,” said Hoff. “The rations include corn, beans, and fortified flour that are purchased from Guatemalan producers and suppliers. In exchange for the food, many families are participating in Food for Work activities, such as construction and repair of roads and schools, as well as land reforestation.”
 

Source: CRS