Rural-Urban Linkages: Guatemala

Guatemala is a middle low-income Central American
country that, in 1996, signed the Peace Accords that
officially put an end to a devastating 36 year long civil
war. Half of Guatemala’s people are now considered
to be below the poverty line, with 72% of this
population estimated to be in the rural areas.¹ Despite
overall food availability, Guatemala suffers the world’s
fourth highest child chronic malnutrition rate − 49.9%.²
Indeed, as figure 1 demonstrates,³ over 50% of rural
Guatemalan children are stunted, compared to 30%
of those coming from urban areas.
This paper presents

results from research conducted
in the municipal capital of Solola which is nestled at
the heart of the country’s Western Highlands.
Semi-structured interviews were administered to 50
respondents (24 rural, 26 urban residents) located at
Solola’s well renowned market, while shorter
interviews were held with an additional 27
respondents. The following briefing paper focuses on
how the rural and urban realms of Guatemala interlink
in Solola.4 These linkages and their influence on food
security and nutrition are subsequently discussed along
with their implications for policy makers.