PARAGUAY / FOOD SECURITY

The indigenous population in Northern Paraguay, rich in cultural tradition, has always ensured that everyone in the community share the food they grow. Now UNDP is working with the community to help diversify their crops to help with food security. UNDP

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:59
• Production Date: 6 July 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - UNDP
• Subject Topical: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; FINANCING; CROP MANAGEMENT
• Geographic Subject: PARAGUAY
• MAMS Id: U090706f

Description

STORY: PARAGUAY / FOOD SECURITY
TRT: 1.59
SOURCE: UNDP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: SPANISH / GUARANI / NATS

DATELINE: RECENT 2009, NORTHERN PARAGUAY

Shotlist

1. Various shots, Guarani village in Northern Paraguay
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jorge Servin, Anthropologist, UNDP:
“UNDP’s work with food security and indigenous communities is significant because for the first time UNDP first consulted with the communities and based their actions on their needs and cultures.”
3. Various shots, Guaranis working the land
4. SOUNDBITE (Guarani) Cristino Jimenez Duarte, Guarani:
“This corn is for anyone who needs it. Unfortunately only a little came out because of the drought.”
5. Various shots, preparing food to eat
6. Med shot, children sitting on a tree
7. Wide shot, Silvino Benitez walking through crop
8. SOUNDBITE (Guarani) Silvino Benitez, Guarani leader:
“With UNDP’s help, we planted this sugarcane crop. We want the children to have something sweet before going to school to give them strength to speak and learn.”
9. Various shots, children in school
10. Various shots, family preparing food

Storyline

Although the indigenous Guarani communities in Northern Paraguay are rich in culture they suffer from extreme poverty and rely on the food they grow for their survival.

Working with the leaders of the community, UNDP is helping to improve their farming practices, which has lead to an increase in their crop production.
Jorge Servin, a UNDP Anthropologist working with the Guarani community says that this it was important to work within their own culture frame work.

“UNDP’s work with food security and indigenous communities is significant because for the first time UNDP first consulted with the communities and based their actions on their needs and cultures,” Servin said.

The villages participating in the project practice the Minga form of agriculture, which in Guarani culture is a specific kind of collective farming, aimed at allowing everyone access to the crops.

Cristino Jimenez Duarte a Guarani community leader says that this is always the way they live but drought often leave the villages with very little to eat.
“This corn is for anyone who needs it. Unfortunately only a little came out because of the drought.” Duarte said.

With UNDP’s help the villages are now able to plant various crops including soy and grains and allows them not only enough food for their own needs but also the ability to sell produce at the local market.

As food prices become more volatile and the value of soy increases, such efforts have become ever more urgent.