Transforming eating habits
“We have worked with many people on the issue of eating habits and healthy eating. But when some of these people move into positions of public administration, they gradually forget about the changes they wanted to make before”. This reflection, shared by Julio Martell, one of the most senior members of INCADE’s technical team, explains in part why this NGO, supported by Misereor, has sought new ways to influence the issue of healthy eating at the municipal level in Montero. Adriana Montero, who heads the institution’s technical team, recalls: “The openness of the mayor of Montero, Mario Baptista, who, after facing health problems, became more sensitive to the health situation of the population, has been a great help to our cause”.
A municipal health diagnosis conducted in 2016 revealed alarming trends and situations: nine out of ten families in the city of Montero had a poor diet, consuming mainly junk and unhealthy food, which, accompanied by a high level of sedentary lifestyle, generated a picture of chronic diseases: obesity in 48% of the population, one in five people with high blood pressure and many people affected by diabetes.
After analyzing the situation and facing the dilemma of choosing an innovative advocacy strategy, INCADE decided on a two-pronged approach, explains Adriana: “We prioritized two areas of work: first, we worked with 12 directors of educational units in Montero, with the support of health center staff, to draft a proposal for a municipal law that would guarantee nutritious and healthy food. Second, we have dedicated ourselves to studying the issue of the sale of food in school kiosks in the city”.
Creative Transition
Between good and bad times
From the openness of the municipality, led by the mayor and accompanied by a large number of directors of public schools in Montero, progress was made in the development of a bill to address the problem of the sale of unhealthy food in educational institutions. The proposal, entitled “Nutritious and healthy food for a healthy life”, was approved in July 2019. This municipal law established, among other things, the definition of healthy food, its promotion, the provision of healthy food and the implementation of healthy school kiosks, specifying the products they must offer.
More than 5 years have passed since the enactment of the law and it has still not been regulated and, as long as there are no regulations for the law, its application remains in a legal limbo, without being able to be effectively carried out.
Routes of change
It is important to keep in mind that the porter’s salary is the lowest on the school’s pay scale, as it is believed that the porter will receive additional income by being responsible for organizing the sale at the kiosks. In fact, almost all porters receive varieties of junk food and items, and processed beverages on consignment, which allows them to manage the profit margins on these products. With the introduction of nutritious and healthy foods and the ban on the sale of items containing harmful substances, there is a direct threat to these sources of income.
The INCADE team conducted an in-depth analysis of the links between the economic issue and the supply and sale of healthy products. From this analysis, several “gateways” were identified to make the shift from junk food to healthier foods more attractive. One of these gateways was the production and sale of natural fruit juices in kiosks: with little preparation and high acceptance by students during their school breaks, it turns out to be more profitable for the vendor than industrialized beverages. Something similar happens with the sale of fresh fruit. The change in the food offer, for example: instead of hamburgers and French fries or chicken for healthy sandwiches, rice pudding, natural jelly, tamarind picolé or boiled egg has been a little more complicated, as it requires more time for preparation, in addition to the uncertainty of selling them.
Gradual transition of school kiosks
The healthy school kiosk approach has been implemented in about 60 educational institutions, covering almost all schools in the five municipalities of Montero. This initiative includes public, private and religious institutions and has received considerable interest and support from educational authorities and many teachers. INCADE has facilitated the gradual implementation of the healthy school kiosk through informative and educational materials, working with the vendors and the school porters who manage the school kiosks. In most cases, the vendors are family members of the porters, although in some cases the kiosks are rented.
INCADE, in close collaboration with the District Directorate of Education and the Municipal Health Centers, has organized theoretical and practical training on nutritious and healthy food for those responsible for school kiosks. Due to the difficult economic situation of the country, in addition to the kiosks inside the educational unit, the number of points of sale of drinks, food and sweets in the surroundings of the educational units has increased. The institution has taken this phenomenon into account by including, where possible, the vendors of these points in the training rooms and courses. More than a hundred people have received their certificate in the preparation and sale of healthy food.
Citizen Power
In your opinion: Are we aware of the power we have as civil society in local and territorial decision-making processes?
At the beginning of the implementation, most schools agreed with the kiosk managers to offer healthy food one day a week. As students and the school community have adapted, several schools now sell healthy foods three out of five days a week. Processed and sugar-sweetened beverages have already disappeared from several schools for good. To make the transition more appealing, strategies such as lentil burgers or spinach and squash cakes have been used to create healthy alternatives that mimic the appearance of junk food.
At the level of students, parents and teachers, the issue of nutritious food has been well accepted, although not without contradictions. Soft drinks and panchitos (fried peanuts) are back in some educational units during big events to raise funds, such as graduation parties. However, despite these ups and downs, the progress of healthy school kiosks is significant, supported by changes in routines and existing regulations, although specific regulations for their full implementation are still lacking.
Collective Strategies
Do you think it is possible to apply the use of creative strategies to overcome resistance to change to other advocacy and transition issues?
If the law is enacted, the mayor’s office would be required to enforce it at public events and in the school environment. For now, private economic interests seem to have more weight. If only it were only a matter of time… After a long period of encouragement from INCADE and its allies, healthy school kiosks have become a reality. In addition, the entity is already planning a new challenge: to support the creation of school gardens, an initiative that currently has 24 gardens in operation and is also seeking the support of a municipal law.
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Messages to the Future
1
Implementing healthy eating changes in schools is a complex process that requires a multifaceted approach. Changing the eating habits of a school community involves economic, social and political issues as well as nutritional ones. By introducing changes gradually and using innovative approaches, such as creating healthy recipes that look like junk food, it is possible to ease the transition and gain buy-in.
2
The power of civil society in local processes is crucial. The case of INCADE is an example of how communities can organize themselves and have a significant impact on local decisions. The key is to strengthen the participation and involvement of all stakeholders.
3
Gradual implementation of change and the use of creative strategies are key to overcoming resistance to change. INCADE has shown that it is possible to introduce healthy foods gradually, using innovative approaches such as creating healthy recipes that mimic the appearance of junk food. This strategy facilitates the acceptance of new eating habits, making the transition smoother and more effective.
The text was prepared based on conversations with Adriana Montero, Armida Nuñez, Julio Martell, Tito Jaimes, Angélica Rojas, Melina Vega, Yrene Miranda, Katherine Arias, Eliana Vargas and Ruth Mery Mayta of the Instituto de Capacitación para el Desarrollo- INCADE. The institution, supported by MISEREOR and Bread for the World, organizations from Germany, has been working for more than a decade in the peri-urban and urban areas of Montero in the integrated north of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The visit in November 2024 by Jorge Krekeler (coordinator of the Almanac of the Future – MISEREOR facilitator on behalf of Agiamondo). We would like to thank Adriana and the INCADE team for their time and collaboration during the working day. Special thanks to INCADE for having shared its process with the author of the article and for the complicities shared in collectives such as the Climate Change and Justice Working Group and previously with the Citizen Participation and Social Control Network.
Authors:
- Jorge Krekeler | jorge.krekeler@posteo.de
Design:
- Gabriela Avendaño
Photos:
- INCADE
Contact information regarding the documented experience:
- INCADE
- Email: incade@gmail.com
- Facebook: Incade Montero
- www.incadebolivia.com
Edition:
august 2025
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