Hijos del Maíz: Cultural Resilience and Community Responses to Food Insecurity in Amealco, Querétaro

This study is focused on food insecurity in Amealco, a marginalized community in the state of Querétaro, México where almost 60% of its population lives in poverty, with the majority being from indigenous communities (Coneval, 2020). Food security has a critical connection to health, well-being, and the proper development of individuals and societies. Using the six dimensions framework that characterizes food insecurity to guide our research – access, availability, agency, sustainability, use, and stability, this case study aims to increase the knowledge of how this issue manifests within the Amealco community and, potentially, in similar communities as well.

By identifying the underlying causes of food insecurity, appraising its impact on people’s health and well-being, and evaluating whether policy or societal interventions have had any effect, this research will facilitate the formulation of actions and recommendations to improve the health and food security of the Amealco community.

Hard to Reach

The rural Indigenous community of Amealco de Bonfil that is both geographically distant from Querétaro’s major cities and culturally distinct from the state’s urban centres.

Key Takeaways

To address food security in rural communities with Indigenous populations the following recommendations include:

1. Adapt public policies to the local context and identity.
2. Promote non-urbanized modernization models for rural development.
3. Protect self-production through the milpa.
4. Ensure the food system’s sustainability.
5. Empower the communities.

Acknowledgments

This case study is the result of the effort and support of countless individuals. We extend our deepest appreciation to the people of Amealco and San Miguel Tlaxcaltepec for their warm welcome and participation in our focus groups and interviews, particularly the Feria del Maíz organizing committee and Casa Común “Juntas Podemos.” Special thanks to Karla Nicol Hernández Puente for connecting us with the community and to Mrs. Isa for generously sharing tamales with us. We also appreciate the students of the Local Development program at Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, campus Amealco, for their valuable feedback.

We express our sincere gratitude to Gustavo Merino, our f irst faculty mentor, for bringing us together as a team. We are thankful for the guidance of our faculty mentors, Daniel Bernal Serrano and Paola Abril Campos Rivera, as well as our academic directors, José Francisco Rueda Vargas, René Rosado González, Daniela González Iza, Liliana Charles Cruz, and Xochitl Pimienta Franco. We are also deeply appreciative of Moni Kim for enabling this experience, Gloria Eid for supporting our teamwork, and Jacqueline Larson, Sana Khan, and the rest of the Reach team for bringing structure and design to our work. Finally, we thank our families and friends for their unwavering support, as well as Tecnológico de Monterrey and the University of Toronto for the opportunity to be part of the Reach Alliance.