Food Security in the Rural Mapuche Elderly: Analysis and Proposals

Area of Science:

• Social Determinants of Health
• Food Security Studies
• Indigenous Health Research

Background:

• Population longevity intersects with inequity, poverty, and economic decline, impacting food security.
• Rural, Indigenous, female, and elderly populations face disproportionate food security challenges.
• Existing research lacks disaggregated data on these intersecting vulnerabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze factors influencing food security among Mapuche elders (60+ years) in rural Temuco, Chile.
• To understand the specific challenges and facilitators of food security within this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative research approach.
• Utilized the interpretative symbolic paradigm and complexity theory.
• Data collected from the discourses of Mapuche men and women elders.

Main Results:

• Self-production of food is key to achieving food security for rural Mapuche elders.
• Cultural food heritage and community spaces facilitate food security, particularly for women.
• Obstacles include urban migration for work, pathological aging, environmental issues, and incongruent public policies.

Conclusions:

• Rural Mapuche elders possess valuable traditional practices for maintaining food security.
• Inadequate public policies, environmental degradation, and migration pose significant threats.
• Addressing these challenges requires culturally congruent and context-specific interventions.