Tropentag 2021, September 15 - 17, hybrid conference, Germany "Towards shifting paradigms in agriculture for a healthy and sustainable future"

Producer Organisations Key Instrument for Strengthening the Agricultural Sector in Colombia

Corporation of Colombian for Agricultural Research - Agrosavia, Marketing and Technology Transfer, Colombia

Abstract

Advancing towards the end of sustainable agriculture is no longer an optional task, since urgent actions are required not only in development, but also in the adoption of practices conducive to the conservation of ecosystems and their natural resources. Currently there are multiple alternatives in favour of the sustainable use of agrobiodiversity and other practices to that end, however, only some producers manage to implement them, among other things due to availability, complexity in use or cost.

Producer organisations in Colombia, where different production systems, natural resources, cultures, economies, and different processes of territorial governance coexist and are potential structures that can favour the implementation of sustainable agriculture. However, these social structures are usually conceived by the institutional framework as recipients of knowledge and assistance, mainly in technical-productive issues, and not as an actor involved, interested and with multiple capacities to guarantee the rational use of natural resources for agricultural production.

This presentation seeks to show how interventions for more than two years with several organisations, that initially sought to obtain a higher agricultural productivity, changed their perspective during the implementation. The interventions were accompanied by the strengthening of skills related to planning, communication and leadership. Besides, the visualisation of new alternatives for participation in new markets and development of a marketing strategy; have showed pathways for the improvement of social, productive, environmental and economic management and finally the empowerment of producer organisations to take better and informed decisions for their communities and the competitiveness of agricultural sector in Colombia.

Keywords: Governance, institutions, producer organisations, sustainability

Contact Address: Adriana Marcela Santacruz Castro, Corporation of Colombian for Agricultural Research - Agrosavia, Marketing and Technology Transfer, Km 14 Way Mosquera, 111931 Mosquera, Cundinamarca, Colombia, e-mail: amsantacruzagrosavia.co