Giving land to peasants and farm workers who do not have this resource is an important step to achieve a reform of the Colombian countryside, but this action alone will not work the miracle of improving the quality of life of the new owners, if the other key factors for production are not in place.

In order for farmers to make the most of the land they have been allocated, or will be given, it is necessary to provide them with the other key factors for agricultural production, whether for self-consumption or for linkage with the marketing and supply of local and regional markets.

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In addition, it is essential to foster associativity among small producers, promoting the creation of cooperatives and organizations that will enable them to access economies of scale, improve the marketing of their products and defend their position in national and even international markets.

It is necessary to strengthen technical support systems and agricultural training, providing farmers with the necessary tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices, properly manage their crops and face, among other challenges, that of climate change. In this regard, we advocate the use of seeds authorized by the ICA as a fundamental part of this reform. Authorized seeds offer guarantees of quality, varietal purity and yield, which contributes to maximizing crop productivity and improving farmers’ economic results.

Another key aspect is access to financing, since these small farmers do not have the necessary resources to invest in agricultural inputs, machinery or infrastructure. It is important to propose and strengthen policies and programs that facilitate access to timely and adequate credit for the agricultural sector, especially for small producers, without ignoring the important participation of medium and large agricultural enterprises, which also require government attention.

Only through the combination of these factors will we be able to guarantee the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in Colombia and improve the quality of life of farm workers. From the Colombian Seed Association, Acosemillas, we are committed to support these initiatives and work in collaboration with the relevant actors to achieve an effective transformation of the Colombian countryside.

South Korea: an example to follow

An example worthy of admiration and review that can help in the productive rural transformation of our country is the case of South Korea, as Stefany Ayo, honorary reporter of Korea.net tells us in her article: “The importance of the Saemaul Movement in the development of rural areas in South Korea”, from which I transcribe some excerpts:

“After World War II, South Korea became one of the poorest countries in the world. However, forty years later it joined the OECD and has been one of the countries with the highest GDP in the world. This economic boom in South Korea has not happened because of a miracle, but at the expense of the work, planning and organization of its inhabitants in search of a more prosperous future for their country”, says Stefany Ayo.

“Among one of the measures that the South Korean government opted for in order to develop its rural areas, so that there would not be an inequality gap between the rural and urban areas, was the creation in 1970 of the Saemaul Undong Movement, which is defined as the union of the strength of men and women to form a powerful community. Its main objective was to modernize the country’s rural areas, modernize agricultural production and empower its inhabitants to live a better quality of life”.

The journalist comments in her article that “the Korean government realized that its most valuable resource was the people’s labor force. Therefore, communities were encouraged to volunteer for this movement.

The Korean program is very well documented, is of universal interest, protected by Unesco and today is being studied as a successful case of rural development in different universities and research centers around the world that is worth reviewing and adapting to the Colombian reality.

A key point would be to propose a true integral territorial development strategy in which not only the public sector participates, but also all the actors that are present in the rural territories.

Undoubtedly, they are the basis on which the human, physical and economic resources of the new proposals must be committed, without neglecting the inclusion of research and technological development necessary for the advancement of the Colombian rural sector.

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