Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Agrobiodiversity as a conservation mechanism in protected highland landscapes: A socioecological perspective from the Colombian Andes

University of Bonn, Center for Development Research, Germany

Abstract

Agricultural activities have long been regarded as major contributors to biodiversity loss, particularly within and around protected areas. Consequently, over the past few decades, one of the main challenges in managing these areas has been designing incentives that enable rural communities to conserve ecosystems while maintaining their livelihoods. This tension is evident in the páramos of Colombia, which have been designated by law as strategic ecosystems primarily due to their role in water provision and regulation for the vast majority of the country’s population. At the same time, their inhabitants are now subject to special constitutional protection because of their relationship with the land and food production.
In this context, this study examines agrobiodiversity as a key factor in biodiversity conservation within the areas of influence of two protected páramo areas in the department of Boyacá: the Siscunsi-Oceta Regional Natural Park and the Pisba National Natural Park. Using a mixed-methods approach based on socio-ecological systems (SES) theory, we characterised the agroecological structure of 46 farms in three municipalities (Sogamoso, Socha, and Tasco) within the areas of influence of the natural parks. Concurrently, three distinct conservation agreements were being developed with the communities in these areas, each led by a different institution at the regional or national level. This institutional heterogeneity allowed us to examine how context shapes the relationship between farming communities, agrobiodiversity, and conservation.
Preliminary results reveal the prevailing role of the sociocultural dimension of agrobiodiversity, which determines the potential contribution of each farm to landscape conservation. In addition to management knowledge and practices, this includes political stances regarding land use and other productive activities that compete with agriculture in protected areas. This study contributes to current debates on multifunctional landscapes and conservation beyond the boundaries of protected areas, and has direct implications for the integration of agrobiodiversity into biodiversity conservation mechanisms.

Keywords: Agrobiodiversity, conservation, incentives, protected areas

Contact Address: Laura Calderon Acero, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research, Genscherallee 3, Bonn, Germany, e-mail: lvcalderonauni-bonn.de