The struggle for food amid social inequity and violence: Food insecurity in the Amazon piedmont in Caquetá

Introduction: The Amazon foothills are a territory of contrasts between natural abundance and various socio-environmental problems. Ethnic and peasant communities –and particularly women– have been the primary victims of these conflicts, which have exacerbated inequality gaps that prevent these communities from achieving adequate levels of well-being, including food security. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of food insecurity and identify the socioeconomic factors associated with its occurrence in two municipalities of the Andean-Amazon piedmont: San José del Fragua y Curillo. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity in communities of two municipalities in the southwest of Caquetá, using the Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria. One hundred eightynine surveys were applied to households in the municipalities of Curillo and San José del Fragua. Results: Only 23.3% of the households declared food security, while 30.2% experienced moderate and severe food insecurity. Statistically significant associations were found between food insecurity and affiliation to the healthcare system, level of education, and selfrecognition as a victim of the armed conflict. Conclusions: In these peasant populations, the high prevalence of food insecurity was associated with vulnerable socioeconomic conditions. The studied municipalities showed prevalence rates higher than the national average, reflecting marginalization and inequality related to the armed conflict, limited access to markets, and displacement of the agricultural vocation. These factors align with the country’s sustained increase in food insecurity, even after the signing of the Peace Agreement.