Restoring Food Security for Displaced Maya Q’eqchi’ Communities in Guatemala

Digital opportunity (v4): Staple Crop Recovery Toolkit for Displaced Maya Q’eqchi’ Families Target users: Displaced Maya Q’eqchi’ community members who lost access to their traditional rice, maize, and bean crops due to eviction for sugarcane plantations. How it would work: Develop a simple, illustrated toolkit (in Spanish and Q’eqchi’) with practical guidance for small-scale, container-based or micro-plot cultivation of rice, maize, and beans. The toolkit would include steps for seed selection, soil preparation (using available materials), planting, basic pest management, and harvesting, tailored to low-resource, possibly temporary living conditions. Distribution would be coordinated with local support groups or NGOs. First version: Produce a 12-page illustrated booklet and printable poster with step-by-step instructions for growing rice, maize, and beans in containers or small plots using locally available materials. Pilot distribution to 10-20 families via a local NGO or community leader, with a 2-month feedback period to assess clarity and usefulness. Alternatives to investigate: Existing agricultural support materials from local NGOs, FAO, or government agencies; informal knowledge-sharing networks within the community; seed distribution programs; and any ongoing food aid initiatives. Difference to test: Whether a locally adapted, language-accessible toolkit increases the number of families able to grow at least one staple crop in displacement settings, compared to families without such resources. Source evidence of a capability or need: “Sugarcane cultivation caused displacement and the loss of rice, maize and bean crops that supported the health and food security of the Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ population, and Possible uses and limits: The loss of staple crops has created a clear need for food security interventions. This toolkit could help families regain some self-sufficiency, but adoption and impact depend on local conditions and support. Potential users and optional payers: Unverified analysis, not established facts; confirm before acting. No established paying customers; this is a non-commercial, community-support tool. No evidence of a buyer or monetization requirement. Competitors and alternatives to check: Unverified analysis, not established facts; confirm before acting. Other possible supports include food aid, existing agricultural extension services, and informal community knowledge. Effectiveness compared to these alternatives is unknown and should be assessed locally. Optional legal business model: Proposed hypothesis; revenue may never occur. Monetization is not required for this project. No commercial hypothesis is established; the focus is on community benefit. Skills and time to test: Skills: basic gardening/agronomy, translation, illustration, community engagement. Estimated time: 2-3 weeks for toolkit development and translation, 2 months for pilot feedback. Not verified. Geographic availability and limits: Unverified analysis, not established facts; confirm before acting. Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, as reported. Actual availability and coverage for displaced families are unknown until checked locally. Legal and platform constraints to verify: Unverified analysis, not established facts; confirm before acting. Local land use, privacy, and intellectual property rules must be verified. No legal advice is given; permissions for distribution and cultivation must be confirmed by partners. Current prices and platform terms: Unverified analysis, not established facts; confirm before acting. Printing, translation, and material costs are unknown and not reported; terms for any external services are unverified and must be checked locally. Age, payments and eligibility checks: MLAIEL requires age 16 or older; external eligibility and payments are unverified. Minimum user age is 16 per MLAIEL; any external service age limits, payments, or KYC requirements are unverified and must be checked locally. No payments are required for toolkit use. Smallest low-cost validation test: Draft and distribute the toolkit to 3-5 families using locally available materials, and collect feedback on clarity and feasibility after 4 weeks. Costs remain unknown until local quotes are obtained. Human responsibilities: Local agricultural extension workers, community leaders, or NGO staff to adapt, translate, and distribute the toolkit; families to implement the guidance and provide feedback. AI contribution and limits: Optional: Use AI to help draft or translate simple instructions and illustrations, but all content must be reviewed by local experts for cultural and agronomic accuracy. Data and access needed: Information on available land or space, access to water, local seed varieties, and typical living conditions. Consent from families to participate and provide feedback. No personal data collection required beyond voluntary feedback. Source-supported setting and capacity: “Sugarcane cultivation caused displacement and the loss of rice, maize and bean crops that supported the health and food security of the Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ population, and substantially affected the environment,” the IACHR said in its referral, submitted to the court Sept. Ordered steps and owners: 1. Partner with a local NGO or community leader to assess interest and needs. 2. Draft and translate the toolkit. 3. Print and distribute to 10-20 families. 4. Collect feedback after 2 months to evaluate usefulness and barriers. Minimum resources and dependencies: Existing agricultural knowledge, local seeds (if available), containers or small plots, basic gardening tools, printing facilities, and translation support. All dependencies must be confirmed locally. Costs and affordability unknowns: Actual costs for printing, translation, and materials are unknown and require local quotes. No reported funding or pricing information is available. How a newcomer can help: Local agricultural experts, translators, NGO staff, and participating families. Supervised beginner task: assembling and illustrating the toolkit with feedback from community members. Pilot and success criteria: Proposed pilot target: At least 50% of participating families (minimum 5 out of 10) successfully plant and maintain at least one staple crop for 6 weeks. Baseline: number of families growing staple crops before toolkit distribution. Measured by self-reported planting and photos, over 2 months. Risks and safeguards: Lack of access to seeds, water, or safe space may limit effectiveness. Security or legal issues could restrict agricultural activity. Toolkit may not address all local challenges. Costs and logistics of distribution are unknown. When to stop or change direction: If fewer than 2 families are able to use the toolkit to start crops, or if local partners report safety or legal barriers, the project should be paused and reassessed.