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Moderated e-mail conference on small farms and food security

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Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:16:44 +0000
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My name is Carolina Vargas, a master's student at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, México. My research is in a Mennonite colony called Salamanca, the approach is about their agricultural system in family and community scale.

In response to Question 3.3.4 ("Many small farmers participate in the rural non-farm economy to generate additional income. Does this increase the contribution of small farms to food security and nutrition?"), I want to say:

First of all food security is defined by FAO as: "Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life."

The multi activity now is a common practice for many of the Mennonite families (small farmers). It represents an opportunity to satisfy their needs, for example, buy food. Even though this access doesn't guarantee quality food, but in some cases, the extra income allows them to continue with their own agriculture. They produce grains like sorghum, soybeans, beans, corn and peanuts. All of them are sold to national and international corporations because is a fact that they can sell it. 

The Mennonite families are contributing to food security for their members but also for other people and market. 

However, there are some questions:
1.- What is the relationship between the market and food security?
2.- If families have access to food but nutritional requirements are not satisfied, do they still have food security? 
3.- If they produce some grains for the market, they have to compete with other producers and a common practice is to use agrochemicals for a successful harvest. Do the crops offer the nutritional requirements?   

Carolina Vargas Godínez
Master's student
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur
Quintana Roo, 
México
Tel: +5213310948663 
Email: cvargasg25(at)gmail.com; cavargas(at)ecosur.edu.mx

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