In 2022, Castillo Hermanos, a multinational company of Guatemalan origin with over 139 years of constant evolution in the food and beverage industries, announced a $15 million investment in a scalable initiative to address child malnutrition in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This marked the launch of “Guatemalans for Nutrition”, a holistic, community-centered program that is now delivering transformative results.
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The program uses its iconicNutrimóviles Camps ®, mobile structures designed and manufactured in Spain, which bring primary health and nutrition services to some of the most remote communities in the community where Guatemalans for Nutrition operates. Each mobile unit is equipped to provide primary health consultations and nutritional support for pregnant women, women on reproductive age, and children under five. Each camp has the capacity to attend up to 50 patients per day.
The Nutrimóviles Camps ® also include an agricultural school to foster local productivity and entrepreneurship; an early childhood development center focused on educating mothers, and a manufacturing center designed to build technical capacity and improve living conditions across the communities in Huehuetenango.
Since 2023, these camps have been operating in two key areas of Huehuetenango: Region 1 (La Libertad, Cuilco, and La Democracia) and Region 2 (Santa Eulalia and San Pedro Soloma). In these communities, Guatemalans for Nutritions a comprehensive protocol is being implemented to address the biological, economic, and environmental causes of child malnutrition. Each camp is also equipped with residential facilities to accommodate the entire Guatemalans for Nutrition team, ensuring optimal living conditions for those working on the ground.
“Since 1990, Castillo Hermanos has been committed to the eradication of child malnutrition. With Guatemalans for Nutrition, we adopted a new approach, one that's holistic, replicable, sustainable, and auditable. For this reason, the program is monitored by Dr. Sophia Aguirre from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. The results show that Guatemalans can deliver world-class solutions,” said Stuardo Sinibaldi, President of Castillo Hermanos.
WORLD-CLASS RESULTS
One year after implementation, Dr. Sophia Aguirre of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, presented the program's first impact report. The findings reveal historic improvements:
— Acute malnutrition in children under five fell from 6% to just 0.38% in the target communities.
— Chronic malnutrition dropped by up to 17 percentage points, thanks to an average increase of 0.69 standard deviations in the height-for-age indicator.
— Over 70% of mothers now report normal growth in their children.
— Recurrent illnesses in pregnant and lactating women decreased by up to 76% after receiving services at the Nutrimóviles Camps ®.
— Nutritional consumption per household increased by 17%, alongside improved access to food, community savings, and income-generating projects.
These outcomes significantly surpass global standards. According to the 2023 “Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates” from UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank, the global average annual reduction in stunting was just 1.65% between 2012 and 2022. To meet the 2030 target of a 13.5% reduction, an annual rate of 6.08% is required.
In this context, Guatemalans for Nutritionreports an accumulated annual reduction rate of 7.10% to 9.1%, far exceeding global benchmarks and positioning the program as one of the most effective initiatives in the world in the fight against child malnutrition.
“These results are more than statistics, they represent a deep, sustainable transformation in how thousands of families live, nourish themselves, and build community,” said José Silva, Executive Director of Guatemalans for Nutrition
Dr. Sophia Aguirre concluded: “there is scientific, quantitative, and verifiable evidence that this program is transforming communities in real, measurable, and deeply human ways.”
These achievements are the direct result of Guatemalans for Nutritioncore identity: a comprehensive, community-driven, and multidimensional approach. The program simultaneously addresses the biological, environmental, and economic drivers of malnutrition. Its pillars include access to healthcare and clean water, the promotion of hygiene and healthy eating practices, and income generation for families. All of this is delivered with a focus on individuals, households, and communities promoting sustainable behavior change and ensuring the transfer of knowledge to future generations.
“At Castillo Hermanos, we are driven by a deep sense of responsibility to create a positive impact on society by promoting social, economic, and environmental development. We are much more than just a company; we are a legacy that evolves with time and with the vision of building a better future for everyone.”
Contact: Luis Gómez Gandara- luisgomez@icasa.com.gt, Pamela Aviles- pamelaaviles@icasa.com.gt
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