Food Security Policies in Latin America

This report analyzes the impact of the 2006–08 global food crisis on Latin America and the subsequent policy responses. It evaluates the effectiveness of short-term 'coping' strategies versus long-term 'curing' strategies, examines the conceptual shift toward 'food sovereignty' and the 'right to food', and discusses the need for balanced agricultural investments and international governance to ensure future food security.

• During the 2006–08 food crisis, food prices rose rapidly, reaching a 60 percent increase by July 2008 compared to the average prices of the previous decade.
• Policy responses in Latin America were dominated by short-term economic measures focused on controlling food prices, often increasing trade barriers and failing to improve regional trade or intergovernmental cooperation.
• The report distinguishes between 'coping' strategies, which are rapid responses focused on households to protect the poor from inflation, and 'curing' strategies, which focus on medium- to long-term supply responses.
• The conceptual landscape of food security in the region has been expanded by the 'right to food' (focused on human rights and decent living standards) and 'food sovereignty' (emphasizing the right of people and countries to define their own agricultural policies and prioritizing local production by small farmers).
• Between 2002 and 2009, 11 Latin American countries passed food security laws, with some, such as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Guatemala, explicitly including food sovereignty in their legislation.
• Social programs to improve food access include school feeding (providing at least one meal a day to an estimated 57 million children as of 2005), conditional cash transfers, and direct food distribution.
• Agricultural research and development investment in Latin America is generally low, with most countries investing around 0.5 percent of agricultural GDP, compared to 2–3 percent in developed countries, though Brazil is an exception at nearly 1 percent.
• A new model of 'contract agriculture' is expanding in the Southern Cone, particularly Argentina, where technically advanced firms rent land and hire machinery, creating a productive but politically contentious alternative to traditional family farms.
• The report identifies a need for a 'new agricultural deal' at the global level, including more flexible international food aid, financial regulations to prevent speculative investment in food commodities, increased investment in sustainable farming, and more balanced WTO trade rules.
• Regional intergovernmental initiatives, such as the ALBA Food Security Fund with an initial capital of USD 100 million, have generally had little practical impact on creating multilateral institutional mechanisms or improving trade environments.

APA

Piñeiro, M., Bianchi, E., Uzquiza, L., & Trucco, M. (2010). Food Security Policies in Latin America. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_policies_latin_america.pdf

Chicago

Piñeiro, Martin, Eduardo Bianchi, Laura Uzquiza, and Mario Trucco. Food Security Policies in Latin America. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_policies_latin_america.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Piñeiro |first1=Martin |last2=Bianchi |first2=Eduardo |last3=Uzquiza |first3=Laura |last4=Trucco |first4=Mario |title=Food Security Policies in Latin America |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_policies_latin_america.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pieiro2010food, author = {Piñeiro, Martin and Bianchi, Eduardo and Uzquiza, Laura and Trucco, Mario}, title = {{Food Security Policies in Latin America}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/food_security_policies_latin_america.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }