Building an urban-rural platform for food security

VECO Ecuador closely works together with Chuya Mikuna, a producers' organisation in the province Cañar. Chuya Mikuna is a member of a bigger network: "Tierra y Canastas" (Earth and Baskets). Emma Kirwan wrote an article about it in the most recent LEISA magazine.

In Ecuador, the benefits of a healthy food system are becoming luxuries beyond the reach of the urban and rural poor. The modern market has come between urban-based consumers and rural-based producers. Intermediaries control distribution and prices while charging a lot for their services. These transactions affect both the grower and the consumer, who continue to suffer unfair prices, poor product quality and harmful consequences to the environment.

Since 1987, a movement known as the canastas comunitarias has countered the harmful consequences of modern markets. “Canasta” means “basket,” and represents the basic food share that all citizens should have the right to access. The most impressive aspect of this movement is its grassroots-based origin: a movement born from necessity. In a country where national and local governments consistently fail to deliver food security measures, the canastas comunitarias provide a social safety net for marginalised populations. This is especially true for those facing acute risks of reduced food availability and limited income generating opportunities. The movement strives to make healthy food affordable for lowincome city dwellers through community-based processes and direct relationships between consumers and agroecological producers. 

Essentially, the canastas comunitarias are urban consumer groups formed by neighbourhood ties or linked through churches, clubs or universities. For example, in Guayaquil, a group of university students formed a canasta to contribute to their families’ sustenance, while Machala’s canasta was started by a religious association. Their objective for affordable, healthy food is achieved through a basic process: participants pool funds together to make bulk purchases in the public marketplace, which are then divided among the families in the group and results in substantial savings.   How do producers and consumers benifit? What are the main challenges? Read the whole article on the LEISA website...