Insights from the Guatemalan food system: an application of exploratory spatial data analysis techniques for food security analysis

The achievement of food security for all remains one of the main development objectives worldwide. Most commonly, non-spatial models are developed for either explaining the underlying determinants of food insecurity and undernourishment or for predicting their changes, so as for identifying vulnerable groups for targeting support. Such approach ignores geographic determinants and the spatial dependency of food security and nutrition outcomes. This paper seeks to address this issue. We use nationally representative data from Guatemala, which faces high and rising rates of undernourishment and child stunting in spite of the efforts engaged on their reduction. Through exploratory spatial data analysis and overlay techniques, some elements embedded in the food system are explored and integrated with the aim of providing complementary information for the analysis of food security. The preliminary results show that these elements are spatially related and that they display geographic trends and spatial dependency. The consideration of these patterns in research and modelling applications can improve the understanding of the related information and its use for the development of food security enhancing strategies. We conclude with recommendations on methodology so as to include spatially explicit analysis in causal or predictive models of food security