Participatory Strategies for Implementing Sustainable Agrifood Systems in the Amazon

Capacity Building and Exchange of experiences

By Diana Maya, Victoria Guáqueta and Antonia Correal, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Martha Vanegas Cubillos, Alianza Bioversity&CIAT

Exchange of experiences is a powerful pedagogical strategy for capacity building by enabling knowledge sharing. It recognizes the value of local knowledge in dialogue with academic knowledge for the co-creation of sociotechnical innovations. Through the exchange of experiences, participants gain new perspectives, develop social skills, feel empowered to achieve their goals, and build relationships with others. Horizontal communication, interaction, trust and reflection are essential characteristics that ensure that the exchange of experiences is enriching and beneficial for all involved.

As part of the capacity strengthening and learning interventions addressing the learning needs identified by the group of participants in the rural innovation labs in Belén de los Andaquíes and La Montañita, Caquetá-Colombia, we designed and implemented a pedagogical approach based on the exchange of experiences to reinforce and share knowledge about sustainable agrifood systems for cocoa and livestock. This exchange took place from September 11 to 14, 2024, at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, with the participation of 24 participants, as well as representatives from two neighborhoods in Bogota, who were involved in a citizens Jury process within the PRIL framework.

The training sessions, facilitated by professors from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, provided a structured space for dialogue and knowledge sharing. Four topics were covered:

• The concept of climate change, its impacts and projections for 2050 in Caquetá, to raise awareness and reflect on the need to take adaptation and mitigation measures.
• The relationships between sustainable food systems and agroecology as a strategy to promote resilient and restorative food systems.
• The role of social and solidarity economy[1] to foster equitable organizational development, balancing both environmental and socioeconomic goals in food systems.
• Sustainable business plans and their importance for the consolidation of competitive value chains.

The training concluded with a field visit to “Clementina Orgánicos”, a farm located in a rural area near Bogotá. During this visit, local producers and farmers from Caquetá shared insights on agroecological production, natural resource conservation and intergenerational integration as a way to support sustainable rural livelihoods. Participants were asked to reflect on the experience in a logbook, responding to five key aspects: 1) key words summarizing the experience; 2) similarities between their own farms and the farm visited; 3) new knowledge acquired; 4) potential strategies to improve their agroecosystems; and 5) common ideas shared by peers.

Participants saw “Clementina Organicos” as a model of a family-run enterprise that provides opportunities for economic development through the use of local agrobiodiversity. They highlighted intergenerational integration, where younger family members carry out activities such as marketing, while the knowledge and experience of the elders is highly valued and integrated into all the system’s activities. This integration of youth and elders was a central theme of the discussions among Caquetá farmers, who recognized the challenge of involving younger generations in productive agricultural activities.

According to the participants, the exchange of experiences allowed them to learn the importance of agroecology as a strategy to improve family income while conserving soil and water. They emphasized the importance of recognizing each family member’s skills and involving young people in productive activities. Participants consider that the knowledge acquired, both in the classroom and during the field visit, would help them to improve production and agrobiodiversity conservation practices, enhance their families’ quality of life, reduce the impacts of climate change, and maintain their farming culture. The combination of critical and reflective discussions in the classrooms plus the field visit equipped participants with the tools for innovating and replicating sustainable practices.

Training spaces, including exchange of experiences, are fundamental pedagogical tools for strengthening local organizations that are committed to the implementation of sustainable agrifood systems.

[1] Social and solidarity economy, according to the International Labor Organization, refers to the enterprises and organizations (cooperatives, associations, foundations, etc.) that produce goods, services and knowledge that serve to a community with the purpose to meet social and environmental objectives and to strengthen solidarity. Social and solidarity economy is based on cooperation, collective aid and trust, and it is centered on people wellbeing rather than on capital accumulation.