Perceptions of training programs and institutions in Food Security and Nutrition (SAN) in Honduras

Abstract

Abstract. Hunger is a problem that currently affects more than one billion people worldwide, which 53 million are in Latin America. Honduras isn’t stranger to this problem, 12 % of its population doesn’t have enough food for healthy life. In the latest years, prestigious international organizations have studied the problem and proposed different solution strategies.  It’s very important the political commitment of governments and the participation of institutions and people with the ability to apply these strategies in the most disadvantaged territories. In order to know the Honduras situation about the training programs and institutions working in food security, it was made a perceptions study among Honduran professionals from different sectors and with extensive experience in the subject. Higher Education is considered between little and not pertinent to the food security by the plenty of request. A high percent of them believes it’s necessary to increase the offer training in food security and they define university degree as the most important level. There are several institutions working around food security and the majority visualizes various benefits of it, however, more work is needs to influence public policies. The involvement of universities in these institutions is considered slightly relevant; suggesting that universities take part in research processes and knowledge transfer in relation to the subject. Because the intensity of the problem and to achieve greater awareness, moreover the training specific programs, it’s appropriate that food security can be studied in whole educational national system.

Key words: Educational pertinence, food security, public policies.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/ceiba.v50i1.190