Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the sanitary measures to control it have affected people's diets, which is likely to lead to high rates of malnutrition in all its forms. The objective of this study was to describe the perceptions of a group of key actors on the assurance of the right to food in the context of a pandemic. This was a qualitative study conducted in Chile. The interviewees were selected by convenience with a transdisciplinary approach. We conducted 26 semi-structured interviews online, during September and October 2020. Data analysis was carried out using an inductive approach and a thematic analysis. We organized information using Atlas.ti 9.0 software. From the participants' narratives, we obtained 4 themes: 1. Food security in times of pandemic, 2. Appreciation of government food strategies, 3. Community response to the pandemic and 4. Other perspectives for facing the pandemic. We concluded that access to food is the dimension of the right to food most affected during the pandemic. State strategies are recognized as maintaining the population's nutrition; however, these are perceived as insufficient. On the other hand, the relevance of community organization stands out. It is necessary to monitor the actions taken to guarantee the right to food in the country and learn about the experience of other Latin American and Caribbean countries to prepare for future crises.