Collaboratory update July 2022 | Colombia

Agroecology is sustainable farming that works with nature, the application of ecological concepts and principles in farming, considering the bigger picture of relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment. Earlier this year our Colombia Collaboratory launched their newly formed Agroecology course, developed as part of the Hub’s Rapid Response Fund (RRF) projects. The course successfully came to a close last month at an event held in the municipality of Silvia, Cauca. Campesino and indigenous communities of the Upper Cauca River Basin came together for an enriching final session, participating in the co-creation of an agricultural seed calendar and a seed and produce exchange. In a farmer-to-farmer exchange the communities shared and discussed new varieties that could be cultivated within their territories, whilst also sharing information about their own sustainable farming practices. Following great success and feedback on the programme, the Colombia team will continue an extended version of the course in collaboration with the SHARE project over the next few months, and there are plans for a future community knowledge exchange event and barter fair later in the year. 

Our Colombian team has recently held a nature-based solutions course, where participants could explore the viability, efficacy, and sustainability of solutions in local, regional, and national contexts. A variety of stakeholders from the departments of Valle and Cauca were brought together, forming new, important relationships whilst identifying specific problems in their regions, for example, water pollution and drinking water treatment. On their final day of the course, participants enjoyed an educational outing to the municipality of El Cerrito, in Valle del Cauca, to learn about the operation of the wastewater treatment plant. It is hoped that the course will provide key stakeholders with the knowledge, tools, and connections to support transitions to more sustainable solutions. "The course was a truly enriching experience that helped us open our eyes and minds to other alternatives" - Johana Ordoñez, course participant. Take a look at this video to find out more. 

Understanding multiple water values is a cross-cutting theme, enmeshed throughout all aspects of the Hub’s work. Researchers in Colombia hosted the public webinar ‘Visions and Values about Nature, Water, and Society’, with guest speakers Vicky Azucena Muelas from the indigenous Kishu community in Cauca, Colombia; Roldan Muradian from the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Brazil; and Erik Gómez Baggethun from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Norway. The speakers explored how the values of water are connected to identifying risks and management practices, each sharing their own unique experiences. Realising the full social, economic, and environmental values of water security is crucial to better governance and decision making in the management of water. Watch the webinar here (in Spanish).