Ecuador's Healthy Food Campaign: An Effectiveness Assessment
This innovative project will address the problem of rising obesity and overweight rates in Ecuador through a civil society-led marketing campaign on responsible food consumption. The campaign will help improve food policy interventions, convince people to adopt healthy and sustainable diets, and prevent food-related chronic illness. Heavy health burden Overweight and obesity rates have been steadily rising across Ecuador over the last decades. The country has had no success in curbing the increase or preventing associated non-communicable diseases. Faced with the growing health burden, the national government is promoting programs that target individual consumers and environmental determinants. Initiatives include improving processed food labelling, and promoting fresh foods and traditional Andean diets. Building on a food movement This project will build on Ecuador's grassroots food movement known as Colectivo Nacional Agroecologico. It offers an alternative, complementary, and organized approach focused on -sustainable agro-ecology -food sovereignty -economic solidarity More than 250 consumer and producer organizations from across the country are involved. The group aims to influence food purchasing, procurement, and more responsible food consumption. Moving the masses to health They embarked on an ambitious 250 Thousand Families campaign to mobilize the 'consumer-citizen' with the aim of getting 5% of the country's population to invest half of their existing household food budgets in healthier, more equitable, and sustainable food practices and diets. If successful, the campaign could re-direct up to CA$850 million per year toward the purchase of healthier foods. This would trigger changes in food production, retail, and marketing. Impact and opportunities This project will allow a consortium of research organizations from Ecuador and Canada to assess and document the actual and potential impact of the social marketing campaign. The research seeks to answer how civil society-led agrifood marketing campaigns can complement government policies and programs, and engage citizens in preventing food-related chronic diseases.
Project ID
108162
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
36 months
IDRC Officer
Natacha Lecours
Total Funding
CA$ 1,242,600.00
Location
Ecuador
Institution Country
Ecuador
Project Leader
Stephen G. Sherwood
Institution
Fundación EKORURAL""
Institution Website
Outputs
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Reintroduction of regular consumption of quinoa in Riobamba, Ecuador : a pilot study Article
The staple national diet – based on ubiquitous consumption of white rice has been identified as a likely key factor related to nutritional transition from more underweight people to more of the population being overweight. The aim of the study intervention was to promote consumption of quinoa “rice” three times a week among 131 adults in Riobamba, Ecuador. Findings suggest a modest acceptance of this re-introduction of a traditional and healthy food. Author(s): Halperin, Daniel, Jinez, Paul, Castillo, Danny, Paredes, Myriam, Delgado, Verónica Language: English |
Vitality of everyday food Article
The article illustrates how people are capable of mobilizing to advance particular interests, including the diversity and dynamism of food practices. Examples of inspiring citizen-led innovation in Latin America are the re-adoption of underutilized, traditional food sources, such as Andean roots and tubers, grains and leafy vegetables; the rise of heirloom seed production and exchange networks; neighbourhood wholesale purchasing groups, and the culinary activity of food preparation and tasting in kitchens across the region. Author(s): Sherwood, Stephen, Paredes, Myriam, Arce, Alberto Language: English |
250 thousand families challenge : bringing to bear food practice on health, equity and sustainability in Ecuador Brief
The project has stimulated increased family-level investment in Andean crops, direct purchasing and agroecology, and has motivated people to engage in public debates on food and agriculture. Ecuador’s Colectivo Agroecologico influenced the 2008 Constitution which stipulates transition from food security to food sovereignty, including a ban on genetically modified seeds and crops. Thousands of families have joined a campaign that promotes fresh, agroecological food produced by family farmers. Author(s): Que rico es Language: English |
Diversidad de la tierra al plato : resultados de un estudio comparativo entre productoras agroecológicas y convencionales en su dieta, producción y salud Informe
Author(s): Deaconu, Ana, Sherwood, Stephen Language: Spanish |
Strengthening impact of the healthy food consumption campaign : 250,000 families in Ecuador Report
The consortium research program, “Ekomer” constructed a Responsible Consumption Index (RCI) built on food source, food acquisition (direct producer-consumer exchange) and production (agroecological or organic). The consortium worked with colleagues in the Ministry of Health and Agriculture to directly inform and shape a series of political debates and policy initiatives. The work of each research team in the consortium is summarized. Six of the top seven causes of death in Ecuador are associated with or influenced by poor quality diets and obesity. An Inter-sectoral Plan on Food and Nutrition (PIANE) was launched for 2018-2025. Author(s): Sherwood, Stephen Language: English |
Self-organization and the bypass : re-imagining institutions for more sustainable development in agriculture and food Article
For the purposes of sustainable development, the paper highlights the need for attention to be paid to relationships – and the social space of knowledge production. Growing awareness of the shortcomings of agricultural modernization has fueled efforts to overcome the limitations of technology transfer, in particular with regard to furthering the uptake of scientifically prescribed best practices. In Ecuador, this led to three substantial institutional innovations: participatory technology development, the greening of technology, and farmer–researcher collaborative platforms. A flow of self-organized initiatives has arisen. Author(s): Sherwood, Stephen, van Bommel, Severine, Paredes, Myriam Language: English |
Circuitos cortos de comercialización agroecológica en el Ecuador Artículo
Author(s): Contreras Díaz, Jackeline, Paredes Chauca, Myriam, Turbay Ceballos, Sandra Language: Spanish |