Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Contemporary agri-communitarian reserves: Human right to food and responsible land tenure

NGO Agrosolidaria Colombia, Colombia

Abstract

Biodiversity loss is among the most pressing global challenges of the 21^st century. In the Global South, where many biodiversity hotspots are located, this decline is mainly driven by land use change for agriculture, involving multiple actors across the agrifood system. At the same time, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promotes access to land as a means to reduce poverty, end hunger, ensure gender equity, and build sustainable communities. Yet, social dynamics often exacerbate the degradation of natural resources. A key factor is the concentration of land ownership, which generates inequality, conflict, and political instability. Colombia stands out as one of the countries with the highest levels of land inequality.
Despite limited access to land and financial resources, peasants, family, ethnic, and community farmers in Colombia provide most of the country’s agrifood biodiversity. These groups sustain vital ecosystem services through knowledge and practices rooted in their livelihoods. Rural leadership has been central to this resilience, particularly through the establishment of civil society reserves organised under RESNATUR. Since 1993, these reserves have created a framework that recognises over 160 areas as protected, while allowing sustainable agrifood systems and infrastructure that strengthen local food sovereignty.
This study examines four RESNATUR community reserves affiliated with Agrosolidaria Colombia that exemplify responsible land governance. The first is Agrosolidaria Chachagüí, which combines agrifood production with a heritage childhood program. The second, Agrosolidaria Charalá, protects oak forests while promoting regenerative tourism. The third, Cusiana Ecosolidaria, safeguards 37 hectares of Andean forest and develops cultural birdwatching initiatives. Finally, the Seed Reserve integrates agrifood conservation with a community radio program.
These experiences illustrate the transformative potential of local action in biodiversity conservation, food security, and community development. They also reinforce the importance of advancing the principles of Recognition, Redistribution, Restitution, Regeneration, and Representation. Elevating these values is essential to secure the universal right to healthy food and a sustainable environment, while positioning agrarian climate justice as a necessary foundation for human well-being and planetary balance.

Keywords: 5Rs, agroforestry, civil reserves, communitarian farming, food sovereignty

Contact Address: Erika Lucia Arias Ramirez, NGO Agrosolidaria Colombia, Calle 17 # 4 - 16, Monterrey, Colombia, e-mail: monterreyagrosolidaria.org