Colombia built a Rural Development model that led to the failure of the rural world in Colombia, paying more cult to the market than to the State, which widened the gaps between urban and rural, generating an unjust social order, which has not changed due to lack of political decisions and a long-range vision of rural areas and their strategic role in development.
In the last 50 years, the Colombian population has increased fivefold, however, the rural population has not improved the productivity demanded by this country's population growth.
The planted area has grown in a disorderly way, expanding the agricultural frontier, affecting ecological systems. There are no major technological advances in the production of food crops, with the exception of the production of rice and corn (for the concentrate agribusiness) because there is insufficient and little strategic investment in agricultural science and technology.
The historical occupation of the territory, the processes of agrarian colonization with its population settlements and the absence of the State have led to a high concentration of property with fragile regional societies, shaping a rural reality that is the source of privileged incomes, of scenarios of conflict and violence.
Inequality and poverty constitute a social and economic reality of the rural population where the majority of rural households (65%) live in conditions of poverty or extreme poverty (33%) and without access to quality services. These neglects have contributed to the country's violent political history. In recent decades, the forced displacement of the rural population has been induced, accompanied by the dispossession of their lands in various regions of the country.
The rural and agrarian problems, and the great social and political conflicts that the country has suffered during the last century, the issues of rural and land development (access, tenure, distribution, use) have not played a significant role in the agendas government policies of the last decades.
The wrong path in rural development
Colombia has come to coexist with a rural development model characterized until now by being highly inadequate to promote human development and address rural problems, a model that has not allowed to change the rural social order, overcome poverty and resolve rural conflict.
Consequently, the sector has not been able to overcome the multiple problems that affect it with a high vulnerability of rural inhabitants in relation to urban ones. The rural sector is experiencing a multiple structural crisis that has historical, political and institutional reasons, a crisis that is based on a set of problems that are expected to be resolved through a national and state agenda. This inappropriate path of development contrasts with the potential of natural resources and capacities of the population.
In turn, the potential of the sector contrasts sharply with the poverty and misery that exists today among its inhabitants, with the persistent inequality in rural society, rural conflict and its devastating consequences on human rights, in addition, the low sector performance, the great weakness of public institutions to meet the demands of the residents, and the lack of a social and productive ordering of the territory with an evident problem (see Graph 1). All this translates into a high vulnerability of society that has not been able to stabilize itself and undertake a dynamic process of development that benefits it and that has led it to failure.
Wrong model of development
The country has opted for a rural development model that has failed in terms of responding to critical problems that affect the quality of life of rural and urban inhabitants. In Colombia, the rural is more important than we believe for the life and progress of Colombians, while in the rural there is wasted potential.
The alternative of not paying the social and political debt with these inhabitants, whose maximum expression is the rural conflict, have hindered progress towards an inclusive modernization. Paying off that debt is everyone's commitment, but the State must lead and regulate the processes and seek the commitment of the entire society in its vindication. The task is very complex and requires enormous commitment, since it is about transforming a structural and historical situation reflected in a social order that is reluctant to change. For this reason, it is urgent to make the decision to start this change and to stop the perverse dynamics in rural development and its relations with urban society.
Alternative solutions
The Colombian Government at the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - MADR, must implement an agricultural, forestry and fish farming policy, which will allow it to advance in a competitive and sustainable development that guarantees national food security, reduces poverty, supports human development peasant, transparency in the management of financial resources, citizen participation and the sustainability of natural and environmental resources.
The MADR's objective is to lead and coordinate the National Rural Development Policy with criteria of equity, sustainable productive ordering, with a long-term vision to promote the development of the country's rural territories and its economy. Therefore, MADR is responsible for executing the National Rural Development Policy based on a Territorial Approach, which takes into account the agro-ecological and socio-cultural characteristics in each of the 5 natural regions (see Chart 2)
Graph 2. Natural regions
Natural regions of Colombia
To achieve Rural Development with a Territorial approach, it is necessary to work from the problem of each of the areas as proposed in Figure 3, under three fundamental axes such as:
Rural land planning axis
It is essential to define the guidelines and solutions to conflicts of land tenure and ownership, current and potential use of soils and waters, according to the edaphoclimatic vocation of the 5 natural regions of Colombia in accordance with the Land Management Plan, for which The Rural Agricultural Planning Unit - UPRA that aims to plan the productive and social ordering of the property and define guidelines, criteria and instruments that promote the efficient use of land for rural development, must interact with the National Land Agency - ANT -, as the highest authority to execute the policy of social ordering of rural property, manage access to land as a productive factor to achieve legal security over it,promote its use in compliance with the social function of the property and manage and dispose of the rural land owned by the Nation ”, bearing in mind that:
- Currently there are 4 million farms, 21% titled, 79% untitled (3,180,000 farms) Inadequate current land use Disorderly land use planning Potential inappropriate land use
Rural development model with a territorial approach
Socioeconomic Development Axis
In order to develop this axis, the ADR must, as its main function, execute comprehensive plans and projects for agricultural and rural development, ensuring technical assistance services, financing for productive projects, construction of public goods (particularly infrastructure for irrigation and drainage).) and marketing of the products in the markets.
Resources are required to meet the basic structure needs of rural, indigenous, and ethnic families, with an emphasis on rural women, youth, the disabled, rural education and training, financing for their activities, productive projects, marketing, and social dialogue. To fulfill this objective, the MADR Productive Integration and Productive Projects offices must interact to give incentives for capitalization and cheap and opportune credit so that farmers can use it. On the other hand, it is necessary to train producers in associative aspects, technical assistance, product transformation and marketing.
Technological development axis
Technological development is the column that supports agricultural, forestry and fish farming production by increasing productivity with the use of basic and applied research, validation, adjustment, technology transfer and knowledge, through technical assistance to farmers located in each of the microregions of the 5 natural regions.
The MADR must operate the SNIA National System for Agricultural Innovation so that the National Subsystem of Agricultural Research and Technological Development coordinates with the entities that generate agricultural technology and territorial entities, to produce technological recommendations adjusted to the agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions of the producers. and that they deliver and train the transferring entities of technology and technical assistance.
The interaction of these three axes in accordance with the agro-ecological and socioeconomic characteristics of the different areas of the country will allow to increase agricultural productivity, food security and surplus for marketing and thus achieve Rural Development with a Territorial Approach.
This is a process of productive, institutional and social transformation of rural territories, where local social actors play a leading role, supported by public, private or civil society agencies, with the aim of improving the well-being of its inhabitants.
Solutions exist, but they require a firm political decision and a greater and more qualified intervention by the State.
Bibliography
- Cárdenas, and Zamudio, Agriculture and rural development in Colombia. Vol. 35. Pag 87-123. 2011-2013 Rural Colombia Reasons for hope. UNDP, 2016, p. 10Figueroa. H, The 10 barriers that slow down the development of the field July 13, 2014 12:02 AMMachado. To this rural development and food security a challenge for Colombia.Perry. S, Rural Poverty in Colombia. 2010 Rural Poverty. Sustainable Rural Development Directorate - DDRS Colombia 2010-2014.Villota. M, Problems of the Peasant Economy and alternative solutions. 2009
