Filter

WHY?

WHERE?

Social Media
Fb Ig
  • pl
  • Why: Corporations Where: Guatemala

    Caldo de Frijol

    In Guatemala, among the Indigenous Mayan communities, a simple and widely consumed dish, especially among poorer families, is black bean soup, known as Caldo de Frijol. This basic meal is often prepared with minimal ingredients such as black beans, water, garlic, and salt. It is a staple dish that helps people survive tough times, especially when resources are limited. It’s important to note that during periods of famine, the amount of this dish is usually very small.

    A few tortillas and half a bowl of reheated beans were all that Maria Concepcion Rodriguez had to feed her six children in the isolated village of El Aguacate. Only her three-month-old breastfed baby had height appropriate for her age. The others were stunted due to malnutrition and looked younger than they actually were.

    When food runs out, 30-year-old Rodriguez asks her neighbors for anything they can spare. “If they don’t have it, then we don’t eat,” she said, speaking in the Mayan Achi language. Like her family, dozens of others in El Aguacate don’t have enough food on their plates.*

    *https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GUATEMALA-CLIMATECHANGE/HUNGER/jnvwwbjzyvw/

     

    Basic Recipe for Caldo de Frijol:

    • Ingredients:
      • 450 g dried black beans
      • 5-6 cups water
      • 2-3 garlic cloves (whole)
      • Salt to taste
      • (Optional) Chopped onion or cilantro for garnish if available
    • Instructions:
      1. Sort and rinse the black beans.
      2. Add beans, garlic, and water to a pot and bring to a boil.
      3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beans are tender. Add salt to taste.
      4. The soup can be served with simple toppings like chopped cilantro or onion.

     

    Guatemala: Hunger among Indigenous Communities Due to Land Exploitation

    Hunger among Indigenous communities in Guatemala, especially the Mayans, is closely linked to systemic marginalization and land dispossession. Land that has been the foundation of survival for generations is being taken by large corporations exploiting it for commercial crops such as coffee, palm oil, and sugarcane. Industrial agriculture has dominated the country, stripping farmers of access to their traditional crops and forcing them into low-wage labor or migration in search of a livelihood.

    At the same time, the government does not offer adequate support for these communities. Indigenous Guatemalans are often ignored in social policy, and aid programs are inaccessible to those who need them the most. These problems are further exacerbated by climate change, which makes crop yields more uncertain, leading to hunger and malnutrition.

    The available food is often nutritionally poor, limited to basic staples like beans and tortillas. These communities do not have access to a diverse and balanced diet, and children suffer from stunted growth and other effects of chronic malnutrition. Like Maria Concepcion Rodriguez’s family in El Aguacate, the daily struggle for survival is a harsh reality for many families.

    What was once a place of autonomy and cultural wealth has now become a symbol of corporate colonialism, where land that once sustained generations now serves the profit of a few.

    Scale of Hunger: Approximately 50% of children in Guatemala suffer from chronic malnutrition, with Indigenous rural communities being the most affected.

    Causes of Hunger:

    • Exploitation of land by agricultural and mining corporations.
    • Displacement of Indigenous communities from their traditional farming lands.
    • Marginalization of Indigenous populations and lack of support for local farmers.
    • Climate change, which worsens agricultural conditions.

    Dodaj przepis