doi: 10.62486/agmu202378

SISTEMATIC REVIEW

Recognition of the initial status of the Finca la Esperanza experience in the Department of Caquetá

Reconocimiento del estado inicial de la experiencia Finca la Esperanza en el Departamento del Caquetá

Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera¹ *, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista¹ *, Verenice Sánchez Castillo¹ *

¹ Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá. Colombia.

Cite as: Parra Cabrera KV, Bohorquez Bautista DF, Sánchez Castillo V. Recognition of the initial status of the Finca la Esperanza experience in the Department of Caquetá. Multidisciplinar (Montevideo). 2023; 1:78. https://doi.org/10.62486/agmu202378

Submitted: 01-07-2023 Revised: 10-10-2023           Accepted: 27-12-2023               Published: 28-12-2023

Editor: Telmo Raúl Aveiro-Róbalo

Corresponding author: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera *

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the systematization of experiences, its main purpose was to recognize the initial state and history and the understanding and interpretation of the lived process of the conceived experience. The systematization is an important technique through which it was possible to produce and transfer new knowledge, carry out analysis and reflections on the particularities of a practice, as well as carry out a record on the different processes, which was very necessary to have progress in the future experiences. The research carried out is descriptive, with a qualitative approach and the data is produced from field stays in the Department of Caquetá, using participant observation and interviews. In this way, the use of the Atlas.ti software was also implemented, which facilitated the time of collecting, transcribing and coding the data. By systematizing we link social processes to options and actions to maintain the transformation, which we can frame theoretical practices and a dialectical relationship between farmer and student. The systematization of experiences is concluded as a tool to understand the operation of the productive units, which includes a sustainability evaluation methodology, allows to know the weaknesses of each one of the experiences, in social, ecological, economic terms and facilitates the rethinking. of indicators to be evaluated in order to have concrete results.

Keywords: Systematization; Processes; Qualitative; History; Analysis.

RESUMEN

Este artículo se enfoca en la sistematización de experiencias, tuvo como propósito principal reconocer el estado inicial y la historia y la comprensión e interpretación del proceso vivido de la experiencia concebida. La sistematización una técnica importante mediante el cual se pudo producir y transferir nuevos conocimientos, realizar análisis y reflexiones sobre las particularidades de una práctica, así mismo llevar un registro sobre los distintos procesos, lo que resulto muy necesario para tener un progreso en las futuras experiencias. La investigación realizada es de tipo descriptiva, con un enfoque cualitativo y los datos se produjeron a partir de estancias en campo en el Departamento del Caquetá, empleando observación participante y entrevistas. De esta manera también se implementó el uso del software Atlas.ti lo cual facilito al momento de recoger, transcribir y codificar de los datos. Al sistematizar vinculamos los procesos sociales a opciones y acciones para la transformación, lo cual podemos enmarcar las prácticas teóricas y mantener una relación dialéctica ente agricultor y estudiante. Se concluye la sistematización de experiencias como una herramienta para entender el funcionamiento de las unidades productivas, lo cual abarca una metodología de evaluación de sustentabilidad, permite conocer las debilidades de cada una de las experiencias, en términos sociales, ecológicos, económico y facilita el replanteamiento de indicadores a evaluar con el fin de tener resultados concretos.

Palabras clave: Sistematización; Procesos; Cualitativo; Historia; Análisis.

INTRODUCTION

The lack of actions that promote harmony between legal instruments and the reality of the countryside about agricultural activity is due to the absence of a general public policy for rural development. According to ⁽¹⁾ a new model of rural development with a territorial approach (DRET) should be constructed to encourage multilateral cooperation agencies, governments, national institutions, research institutions, and rural professionals to recognize the benefits and strengths of improving the quality of life of the poorest rural societies.

National governments, research institutions, and rural professionals should recognize the benefits and strengths of improving the quality of life of the poorest rural societies.

Agriculture plays an important role in economic activity as a source of food and raw materials for industry, generating employment and foreign exchange through exports.⁽²⁾ For ⁽³⁾ “The rural world is more diverse and complex than agriculture, but agriculture remains important for social and economic activities.

The systematization of agroecological experiences is oriented towards a systemic approach, as it allows us to understand how agroecosystems work and identify the critical points to be addressed in accordance with the producers’ objectives.⁽⁴⁾ In this agroecological production unit, farmers’ knowledge is combined with scientific knowledge to design agroecosystems to visualize a functional paradigm in the territory.

The systematization of experience in agroecology is a fundamental process for promoting and strengthening this discipline. It allows us to learn from practices, identify challenges and barriers, and disseminate the knowledge acquired to contribute to the transition toward more sustainable, fair, and resilient agricultural systems.⁽⁵⁾

The systematization of experiences in Colombia is incorporated through local and regional planning processes for land management, as each of these enables effective improvement in the quality of life and food conditions of communities, the recovery of their ecosystems, and the participatory and democratic construction of the country.⁽⁶⁾

The systematization of agroecological experiences in the department of Caquetá requires an analysis of the ecological practices that have been developed in the region. These practices are based on the economy, especially agricultural and livestock activities and the extraction of natural resources. They also involve farmers, agricultural technicians, and local organizations in a participatory process. Likewise, collaboration and knowledge exchange are fundamental to enriching experience and promoting agroecology in the department of Caquetá.⁽⁷⁾

At the local level, ⁽⁸⁾ indicates that groups of farmers and community organizations have been formed to promote agroecology and share knowledge and experiences, fostering partnerships with educational institutions. ⁽⁹⁾ show that localities and government entities promote agroecology as a viable and sustainable alternative in the territories.

This article aims to recognize the initial state of the experience, how the agroecological transition has been, its history, and its processes while also seeking to understand what motivated the shift to organic farming and how the family has participated in this experience. What are the characteristics and principles in the systematization of the knowledge of Finca la Esperanza, Department of Caquetá?

METHOD

Location

This experience is located in the department of Caquetá, in the southwestern part of the Colombian Amazon, at coordinates 1°02′00″N 73°54′00″W. The interview took place at Finca Esperanza in the village of Avenida el Caraño, in the municipality of Florencia Caquetá.

Focus

To achieve these objectives, qualitative instruments were used to produce in-depth data on agroecological experiences. In this case, in-depth interviews were conducted with the different actors involved, where we learned about their beginnings and history, their current situation, learning, and future vision of their experience.

Method

Recognition of the initial state of the experience

An interview was conducted addressing variables related to history and process. This interview was recorded with the interviewee’s prior authorization, then transcribed and processed using qualitative data processing software. La Finca La Esperanza is located in Caraño, Municipality of Florencia, Department of Caquetá.

The research was conducted using a historical hermeneutic approach, which refers to the study of nature itself. This approach seeks to give meaning to a phenomenon or observe something and search for its meaning.⁽¹⁰⁾

Data collection was carried out with the interviewee’s prior consent. Likewise, oral tradition was collected by recording informal conversations and interviews about his history and beginnings, what motivated him to focus on organic farming, what he knows about agroecology, and how he integrates it into his agricultural and livestock practices. This information was recorded, transcribed, and processed using Atlas.ti version 9.0 qualitative data processing software.

Finally, the findings were produced, first through an exploratory approach, then inductive categorization, and finally deductive categorization, which allowed us to establish co-occurrences between codes and perform the respective triangulations.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Exploratory analysis

Figure 1. Word cloud

In this more in-depth analysis by the interviewee, relevant quotes were identified, and 18 codes were obtained. Agroecological systematization was the code with the highest number of co-occurrences—in the diagram, it has been renamed EXPER. AGRICOLA. This code co-occurred five times with the other 18 codes. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCIE: According to the interviewee, agriculture prioritizes natural and living methods, such as using natural fertilizers and soil-friendly techniques.⁽¹¹⁾ He also expressed the results as successful and harmonious, respecting the environment, identifying lessons learned, and reflecting on them. For them, the goal is to generate knowledge, share it, and contribute to reason in peasant agriculture. Finally, today’s organic farming has evolved to become an alternative system for achieving productive development organically and helpfully, both socially and economically, in the long term, in a sustainable manner and in keeping with agriculture that respects natural cycles, makes use of local resources, and promotes equity, equality, and integration in our territories.

Deductive analysis

Practical management families

The interviewee implements management practices in the field based on his experience with agroecology, which are focused on agriculture and livestock farming. He uses a traditional cropping system and also raises poultry for self-consumption and sale in farmers’ markets (figure 2).

According to the above, ⁽¹²⁾ indicate that the agroecological approach and its respective practices are the fundamental basis for agricultural development and a new rural development model through the dialogue of knowledge between actors in the agricultural production value chain. Agroecological production systems are a sustainable alternative for improving small-scale producers’ quality of life because they effectively use productive resources, promote social and cultural activity, and develop productive and economic management capacity.⁽¹³⁾

Figure 2.  Management practices

Food security family

The interviewee understands food security (FS) as the possibility of producing natural products, where the primary concern is access to healthy food that is not only available in green markets but also becomes an economically viable alternative for producers and consumers. At the same time, healthy food should become a habit and part of the culture (figure 3)

Figure 3. Food security

In line with the interviewee’s comments, ⁽¹⁴⁾ states that one of the ways to improve food security for families is precisely through organic production, which benefits not only humans but also biodiversity and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic production is an option for overcoming many production difficulties and combating poverty, hunger, social exclusion, inflation, and unemployment.⁽¹⁵⁾

Family Autonomy

The interviewee understands food autonomy as how one wants to grow or produce organically to be self-sufficient in what we consume. It is an opportunity to establish fair value for their products and can generate economic and social independence, self-sustainability, and ecological sustainability in agriculture (figure 4).

In line with what the interviewee said, ⁽¹⁶⁾ talks about creating your own organic and independent farming system, conserving natural resources, and reducing dependence on outside inputs. ⁽¹⁷⁾ says that improving autonomy is a way to adapt, and agroecology strengthens farmers and rural communities as key agents of change.

Figure 4. Autonomy

Opportunity Family

According to the interviewee, his experience led him to become interested in organic farming, to implement alternatives to reduce the use of agrochemicals and improve his management practices, with the aim of promoting his products and gaining value and recognition in the market (figure 5).

Figure 5. Opportunity

The predominance of family systems has led to the decision to adapt or reform as an option for creating alternative production mechanisms and economic relations around food.⁽¹⁸⁾

⁽¹⁹⁾ even proposes the following in line with the above: agroecological production or agroecological transition is an alternative form of agriculture that adds to the principles of solidarity that favor fair marketing spaces focused on commercial practices, where the relationship with food goes beyond the concept of a product.

Family alteration

The interviewee understands the chemicals in the experiment as conventional agriculture, contributing to direct contact with chemical products and exposing them to more significant health risks, generating adverse effects for humans and the surrounding environment (figure 6).

Figure 6. Alteration

Subsequently ⁽²⁰⁾ agroecology seeks to reduce dependence on chemical products and inputs and promote more sustainable agricultural practices. One of them is organic fertilization, a holistic approach that protects human health and the environment while promoting healthy and sustainable food production.⁽²¹⁾

CONCLUSIONS

The answer is important in systematizing agroecological experiences, which allows us to highlight and value local and traditional knowledge and look beyond farmers and rural communities.

In many cases today, conventional systems have underestimated or ignored this knowledge due to industrialized agriculture. Thus, we can rescue and lay the foundations for this knowledge, recognize its importance, and strengthen it to contribute to more just and sustainable food systems.

Likewise, promoting future practices requires the active participation of stakeholders, a reflective approach, an appropriate methodology, information and dissemination, supportive policies, and a perspective of continuous learning. Considering these aspects, it is possible to achieve agroecological knowledge and its history.

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FINANCING

The Authors did not receive funding for the development of this research.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

CONTRIBUTION OF AUTHORSHIP

Conceptualization: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Data curation: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Formal analysis: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Research: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Methodology: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Project administration: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Resources: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Software: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Supervision: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Validation: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Visualization: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Writing – original draft: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.

Writing – review and editing: Karla Vanesa Parra Cabrera, Daniela Fernanda Bohorquez Bautista, Verenice Sánchez Castillo.