(Es) (Ecuador) On the table: A look at chronic childhood malnutrition from the perspective of the right to adequate food and nutrition (FIAN)

Limited access to land, water, and other productive resources for rural populations constitutes a systematic violation of their human rights, particularly the Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition (RANA), due to its direct link to malnutrition and the double burden of malnutrition. This lack of access hinders the production of food for self-consumption, essential for culturally appropriate diets, and inadequate irrigation impairs production capacity to meet nutritional standards for RANA. Consequently, individuals are often compelled to consume foods that fail to meet minimum nutritional requirements, making them vulnerable to corporate food regimes that promote the consumption of Ultra-Processed Food Products (UPP) (Salcedo, 2018). The report "On the Table: A Look at Chronic Childhood Malnutrition from the Right to Food and Adequate Nutrition" critically analyzes this food situation and its relationship to chronic child malnutrition (CCM), focusing on three predominantly impoverished provinces of Ecuador with high rates of malnutrition, especially among children under 5. Data for the report was collected through field visits to seven parishes in Esmeraldas, Chimborazo, and Santa Elena between October and December 2023, involving workshops and interviews with local leaders. This primary data was supplemented by secondary information from official sources and the active participation of peasant organizations, including the Union of Peasant Organizations of Esmeraldas (UOCE), the Corporation of Peasant and Indigenous Organizations of Flores (COCIF), and the Wankavilka People.