Response to the food insecurity crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study from Colombia

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many challenges to the Colombian food system in guaranteeing food supply under the restrictive conditions imposed by the global crisis. More than half of the country's households suffered from food insecurity and this percentage increased with the pandemic due to loss of revenue from increasing rates of unemployment, increased production costs, and an increase in food prices. This chapter describes the emergence of solidarity-based initiatives created by civil society, the adaptation by alternative food networks and the response local governments. This is a collective case study from the city of Medellín, Colombia. It demonstrates how solidarity-based and alternative initiatives have contributed to the resiliency of the food system and how they can be examples democratic and networked governance. It also highlights a need to strengthen the relationship between government institutions and civil society to improve food policy management.