Strengthening strategies food security and food sovereignty with the emergence of covid-19 in Colombia

Abstract

In the midst of the health emergency caused by COVID-19 in Colombia, strategies have been generated to strengthen food security and sovereignty. Among the mechanisms adopted by urban and rural communities and local governments are alternative ways of obtaining food, one of which is trueque, which allows the exchange of food produced by peasants between territories. In Bogota, mercados campesinos have been strengthened, which have made it possible to bring food produced by peasants in Tolima, Meta and Boyacá to urban households, promoting short marketing circuits and fair payment to producers. In spite of these alternatives, the demonstrations to make visible the hunger of the households emerged the trapos rojos (red rags) in the houses, which have alerted about the situation of a good part of Colombians and have encouraged solidarity among neighbors. The position of academia has been avant-garde, directly involving peasants in processes to guarantee the right to food in Colombia.