Peru Faces Alarming Food Insecurity Crisis Amid Economic Recovery

Peru’s economic outlook appears more promising after periods of recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Central Reserve Bank and World Bank estimate 3.1% growth for the country this year.

However, this figure contrasts sharply with Peru’s high level of food insecurity. A recent World Bank report reveals that food insecurity in Peru affects over 50% of the population on average.

This places Peru fifth among 27 Latin American and Caribbean countries analyzed and first in South America, excluding Bolivia and Venezuela.

Eduardo Zegarra, a researcher at GRADE, notes that the WHO report confirms previous warnings about this problem. He cites a UN Food and Agriculture Organization report indicating that 51% of Peruvians cannot ensure sufficient nutritious food for a healthy life.

This amounts to approximately 17.6 million people. Maintaining a healthy diet is more expensive in Latin America than in any other world region.

While Europe and Central Asia exceed four percentage points, Latin America scores 5 PPP per person per day. “In Peru, it’s alarming. A healthy diet can cost three times more than a conventional diet,” Zegarra explains.

Food Security Challenges in Peru

As World Food Day approaches, Lima’s Community Kitchens Network continues demanding a dignified budget from the government.

For this year, President Dina Boluarte’s administration allocated over 146 million soles ($26 million) to serve 300,000 beneficiaries. However, this represents a setback, as it amounts to only 1.69 soles ($0.30) per meal.

Abilia Ramos from the Network states, “We met with the MIDIS technical team and vice minister, who informed us the budget had increased.

However, we used to receive 3.70 soles ($0.66). Then it was lowered to 2.20 soles ($0.39) and now to 1.69 soles ($0.30) per person. Who can eat with that?”

Both Ramos and Zegarra agree that the proposed amount is insufficient. They believe a reasonable meal should cost between 9 soles ($1.61) and 12 soles ($2.14) per person.

This issue must be resolved in November when Congress approves the corresponding bill. Meanwhile, the Community Kitchens Network is preparing advocacy actions regarding MEF and MIDIS budget allocations for their organizations.

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