In Malaysia, while some indigenous communities had abundant supplies of produce with no buyers due to the shutdowns, other communities faced notable food shortages. As such, local project partners (i.e. Non-Government organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), indigenous organizations) were linked, and together they purchased produce from the communities with ‘abundant supply’ and distributed them to communities facing food shortages.
Despite the low number of COVID-19 cases (a total of 18 cases and 2 deaths) in Belize, the concurrence of shutdowns, rainy season (that commenced in June) and devasting wildfires required emergency support in rural and remote indigenous communities in the central, north and southern regions. Food packages including flour, rice, beans, milk, cooking oil, etc. were distributed to provide immediate access to food. Furthermore, to generate livelihood options, create resilience and mitigate biodiversity losses, budget reallocations were prioritized for establishing indigenous seed banks, agroforestry and agroecological activities.
Similarly, in Senegal, food and agricultural supplies (seeds and equipment) were distributed to several communities to address immediate food needs and guarantee subsistence agriculture. The project has also coordinated food distribution systems between village leaders and the government, particularly in the Oulolo communities located in the Sédhiou region, where government food aid does not reach everyone.
In Ecuador, a food autonomy plan ‘strengthening food sovereignty’ was developed in Waorani territories, based on community capacities and food traditions (i.e. biocultural groves and diversified orchards); and in the Kichwa Native Village of Sarayaku, communities are rediscovering natural medicines to strengthen the respiratory and immune system.