Soberanía y seguridad alimentarias en tres comunidades rurales en La Macarena, Meta, Colombia

Rural populations living in contexts of violence and armed conflict face multiple violations that affect their quality of life and health, with food being one of the most impacted rights. The rural area of the municipality of La Macarena (Meta, Colombia) has been immersed for several decades in a conflict that has been invisibilized due to the segregation of the region. This article presents the results of a descriptive, cross-sectional, multi-method, and participatory study conducted in three villages of the municipality of La Macarena, which explores the food system and analyzes its relationship with health and well-being. The results reveal the vulnerability of the communities as a consequence of violence, as well as the limited presence and support of the State, which has led to low investment in communication routes, poor agricultural productivity, and a nonexistent local product trading system. All of this has affected the access to, availability, and consumption of nutritious foods. Furthermore, the social, economic, and political situation of this territory affects the well-being of the community, as it fosters the production and reproduction of adverse structural conditions that exceed its self-management capacities. This significantly impacts the food system of the rural population, leading to health deterioration and increasing their conditions of vulnerability.