Context
Rural areas in Colombia are largely cut off from the otherwise dynamic economic development of the country. The economies of larger cities could provide important impulses for the development of rural areas as a service providers and distribution centers. Yet, local and regional markets are underdeveloped. Small producers are generally not sufficiently organized and therefore hardly involved in economic cycles. They can hardly satisfy local and regional demand and are therefore hardly considered by potential customers. In addition, there is a lack of job prospects for young people in their home region. Many go to the cities - older people stay behind. The lack of generational change in the farms and farms weakens the rural economic cycles in the long term and has an impact on the food security of the country.
Objective
Sustainable rural economic development is strengthened in selected sectors and regions and involves economically disadvantaged groups.
Approach
Alliances between local, regional and national actors in the main regions Meta, Norte de Santander and Caquetá showcase examples of what green and inclusive economic development in rural areas can look like. It is about increasing income and employment for disadvantaged groups while at the same time using natural resources with care. Specifically, these alliances include e.g. Farmers markets as a possibility of direct marketing, alternative production methods in buffer zones of nature parks, local ecotourism initiatives and sustainable livestock and fish farming.
In order to improve the economic prospects of young people in rural areas, the project works together with government programs to promote employment and start a business. The emphasis is on aligning the programs more closely with the needs of young people and the private sector.
In the current phase of the project, it encourages government and private sector partners to implement these jointly developed practices in other communities in the project regions and other parts of the country. This also offers new opportunities in the implementation of the peace treaty, as in regions strongly affected by the conflict, it creates, for example, income opportunities through new tourism destinations.
Results
Income and employment are rising: Dairy producers have increased their milk quality with the introduction of "good livestock practices", increasing their income by 77% from 2017 to 2018. In fruit and vegetable production, certifications attesting producers their application of "good agricultural practices" allow not only for price increases but also long-term supply relationships with regional customers. This increased their income by 28%. New career prospects for young people open up, for example, in processing agricultural products.
Several partners are replicating the successful models developed in the predecessor project since 2014 in a total of 22 new communities, some of which are even located in new regions. For example, the Ministry of the Environment, in cooperation with the regional environmental authorities, has set up "green windows" in two new regions to advise local companies on how to bring their green business ideas to market.