FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study, No. 34.

This study was developed in order to portray, with high-quality, representative data, the main characteristics of poverty, food insecurity and vulnerability in rural areas of Guatemala. Under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative in Guatemala, the study aims to identify the broad-based challenges affecting the rural agriculture sector. This sector faces challenges in the reduction of poverty and food insecurity, as well as in rural economic development, namely through the development of agricultural value chains. The study capitalizes on the availability of the most recent sources of nationally representative data on rural households and individuals in Guatemala, and leverages FAO’s experience in the analysis of food security, poverty, vulnerability and livelihoods. The study is aimed at policymakers and practitioners working in agrifood systems in rural Guatemala. The findings may also be relevant for other readers interested in rural livelihoods, diversification strategies and inclusivity analyses, and the challenges faced by vulnerable groups such as Indigenous Peoples, women and youth.