Food and Nutrition Security Policy of Central America and the Dominican Republic 2012-2032

The Food and Nutritional Security Policy of Central America and the Dominican Republic establishes a framework to coordinate food and nutritional security in the region. The policy was approved by several regional councils and organizations, including the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMISCA) and the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), and its main objective is to ensure that the entire population of the SICA member states have permanent and timely access to sufficient, varied, quality and safe food to satisfy their nutritional needs and food preferences, contributing to an active and healthy lifestyle. This policy seeks to coordinate and improve cooperation between the various sectors and levels of governance (regional, national, and local) to implement effective and sustainable actions in the field of food and nutritional security. It is organized around six strategic components: Food Availability, which seeks to ensure that there is enough food in the region by improving agri-food production and trade; Food Access, which addresses people's physical and economic ability to obtain adequate food; Food Consumption, focused on ensuring that available foods are consumed in a way that meets nutritional needs; Biological Utilization, related to how effectively consumers' bodies use nutrients from food; Stability, which ensures consistency in access to food without risk of interruptions; and Policy Management and Institutionalization, which includes the creation of institutional frameworks and administrative mechanisms to implement and sustain food and nutrition security.