GDR Colombia: The role of agribusiness in competitive and sustainable agriculture

11/02/2026

The purpose of the fourth session of the Rural Dialogue Group (RDG) was to deepen the technical analysis of the strategic challenges facing the country’s agrifood systems.

The RDG is a joint initiative of ECLAC and FAO, with the technical secretariat of Rimisp Colombia, which seeks to consolidate a technical, multi-stakeholder space with advocacy capacity for strategic analysis, knowledge exchange and collective construction of proposals aimed at the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems in Colombia. Participants come from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, including rural development and competitiveness of the productive sector, along with representatives from the public and private sectors, academia and social organizations.

In past sessions, the competitive inclusion of small producers in value chains was discussed, with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities for public policy and productive development. During this dialogue, emphasis was placed on the need to refocus public policy for small producers on aspects related to production and the strengthening of sustainable capacities, moving from scattered interventions to schemes that are coordinated between public entities, the private sector and community stakeholders.

The importance of having relevant and contextualized information to improve the characterization of producers, manage risks and guide policy decisions was also underscored, as was the need to strengthen the systems for monitoring and evaluating such decisions. Finally, the potential and limitations of instruments such as local public procurement, contract farming, integrative credits and parafiscal funds were discussed, highlighting the urgency of adjusting current and future incentives. The need to simplify the requirements for access to policies and programs and to promote clear rules that will enable stable trade relations and effective inclusion of small producers in markets.

The fourth session of the RDG, held on January 27 in Bogotá, focused on analyzing how to promote agribusiness in Colombia, seeking a balance between productive, social and environmental aspects.

In this context, the exchange of perspectives allowed the construction of a series of key messages that guided the discussion and contribute to further progress in the dialogue on the future of agribusiness in Colombia. Some of them were:

  • Information for decision making.The formulation of agricultural and agroindustrial policy requires strengthening the production of data on rural areas, their productive dynamics and their social and environmental impacts. To this end, it is necessary to carry out a new agricultural census, as well as to redefine and incorporate new statistics that allow for better measurement.
  • Productivity and land use. Rather than expanding the agricultural frontier, the priority is to define how to intensify land use and increase productivity in a sustainable manner on land that is already used for agriculture, which is largely underutilized.
  • Agribusiness should not be understood solely as an export issue, but as an integral component of agrifood systems.
  • The future of agribusiness in Colombia must be based on a new balance with nature.. Agricultural productivity cannot continue to advance at the expense of forests and ecosystems, as this compromises resources in the long term and accelerates climate change. It is necessary to move towards sustainable agrifood systems.
  • It is possible and necessary to include small producers in the development of agribusiness.. When fairly integrated, these actors can increase their income and productivity, contributing to poverty reduction and local food supply. This inclusion requires the articulation of public-private efforts.

These messages provide relevant inputs to continue strengthening the dialogue. Our fifth session will be held on March 7 with the objective of advancing the group’s agreements and reflections, which will be presented in two policy briefs of great relevance for the 2026 electoral agendas. With this meeting, we aspire to advance in the construction of a more sustainable, inclusive and competitive agribusiness in Colombia.

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