Riosucio, a municipality in Colombia, is struggling with increased food insecurity as harsh environmental conditions overwhelm traditional agricultural practices. A study indicated that food insecurity has drastically risen in Choco, where Riosucio is located, reaching 36.3% in 2024. Many community members, especially those living along the Salaqui River, depend on agriculture but face crop destruction due to severe flooding. With many residents living below the poverty line, the community's resilience is under severe strain, as livelihoods and food sources continue to dwindle.
Salaqui is the main food pantry of Riosucio, but it is now dying, says Benjamin Palacios, 76, a subsistence farmer and community leader.
When the river swells, it forces them to run backwards, surrounding them and damaging their land and plantations.
The crisis further intensified last year when the Choco region was hit by severe flooding.
Nearly 40,000 of Riosucio's 53,000 people live in rural areas, and about 46,000 are Afrodescendant 71% of the population suffers from multidimensional poverty.
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