HI Mexico Targeting Food Security for Local Families

HI Mexico Targeting Food Security for Local Families

By | 2018-04-25T13:28:49-04:00 December 5th, 2011|Mexico|

After undergoing specialized training, Energy Farming program leader Ariszandy Calderon is launching a new Food Security program, which HI Mexico is very excited about. The program is designed for families interested in participating in capacity building workshops to create their own kitchen gardens. It will provide training and support, over an extended period of time, in integrated garden management to produce nutritious, sustainably grown food at home.

The course also focuses on preserving and honoring traditional food sources from the area, which are being neglected, in many cases, as access to imported and processed food increases. As the rate of obesity and diabetes escalates, even in rural areas like Jonotla, it is crucial to reclaim healthy and sustainable food production, especially for families with children. Finally, the program aims to empower marginalized families to produce food for themselves and to help develop the larger community by combating poverty with abundance.

The goal of this first program session is to give fulltime training to at least five families, though as many as are interested and committed are welcome. HI Mexico looks forward to serving its community in this new way!

To get the program started, Ariszandy has organized multiple rounds of meetings with local farmers and families, introducing the goals of the course, which include giving families the skills needed to develop home gardens and accompanying education about nutrition.

While HI Mexico has already been teaching farmers basic techniques in organic farming, including food and medicinal herb production, this course focuses specifically on food diversification, production in limited spaces, and nutrition education.

Attendees of the first meeting were very participatory, with many questions and suggestions.