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The food system is a complex set of processes involving the production and consumption of food, influenced by economic, social, political, environmental, and demographic factors. Recently, an example of this was experienced in Colombia, where a landslide on the Pan-American Highway in Rosas, southern Cauca, disrupted the connection between municipalities near the landslide and those in the Nariño department, weakening a portion of the agricultural supply system.
In response to this situation, the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, together with various public and private partners, have developed a tool to provide centralized information and support decision-making in the food system. This tool is called PlaSA Colombia, a platform that offers detailed information about food supply, weighted average food distance (route distance), environmental impact caused by transportation, minimum cost of the diet, and other components of the food system in Colombia. This tool is being developed as part of the National Policies and Strategies (NPS) Initiative, a proposal by One CGIAR to support decision-making regarding the food system, measure the impact of environmental determinants, and enhance its resilience in complex situations like the one experienced in the municipality of Rosas, Cauca, at the beginning of 2023.
Learn more about the impact of this landslide through the following infographic:
Authors:
Johana Castillo, research associate, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Colombia
Carlos González, senior research associate, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Colombia
Infographic:
Johana Castillo, research associate, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Colombia
Daniela Salas, communications, CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies and analyst Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Colombia
This work is part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS). CGIAR launched NPS with national and international partners to build policy coherence, respond to policy demands and crises, and integrate policy tools at national and subnational levels in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CGIAR centers participating in NPS are The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Potato Center (CIP), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and WorldFish. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund.