Honduras

The country’s vulnerability to extreme climatic events exacerbates food insecurity. In the southern and western regions – corresponding to Honduras’ Dry Corridor – four years of continuous drought have eroded people’s ability to secure sufficient nutritious food all year round. In 2015, irregular rainfalls resulted in the loss of more than half the crops. To cope, people have resorted to migration or the sale of productive assets.

Almost three quarters – 72 percent – of families depending on agriculture either own small parcels of land or work as labourers for large land owners. Limited access to land, technology and agricultural assets hampers the potential development of the agricultural sector.

Poorly diversified diets and a lack of nutritional awareness result in overlapping nutritional problems including stunting, mineral and vitamin deficiencies and overweight/obesity.

Stunting in children under 5 still stands at 23 percent, with peaks of 40 percent in the Dry Corridor, where a large proportion of the indigenous population lives. Anemia affects 29 percent of children under 5 –  with a prevalence of up to 60 percent in babies between 6 and 8 months – as well as 15 percent of women and girls of reproductive age. Rapid urbanization, leading to reduced physical activity and increased consumption of processed foods rich in fats, sugar and salt, is driving up levels of overweight and obesity and the risk of chronic diseases. 

The World Food Programme is contributing to the achievement of SDG 2 in Honduras by supporting the Government’s efforts to improve nutrition, enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers and assist families affected by rapid and slow-onset disasters.