Sowing peace: Violence and agrobiodiversity in the Colombian Amazon

Dexter, Kristina Van; Gutierrez, Laura; Ingalls, Micah

doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.11.008

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Patterns of forest to cattle in Tinigua show how old and new farmers have purposefully fragmented and appropriated Tinigua with sponsorship by FARC-EP dissidents and larger ranchers 58 , 59 . Dissidents have territorial control in Guaviare and Putumayo, encouraging coca production 60 , 61 In Macarena, forest to cattle conversion has been slower, confined mostly to the park's borders and not in the core area. Coca farming is most abundant in Macarena, where it has been persistent since 1985 and has moved ~ 5 km inside PA boundaries (see SI Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Practical examples in Guaviare are protecting ~ 30.000 ha through forest conservation and ecotourism strategies 61 . In Putumayo, farmers have also begun to plant native timber-yielding varieties to gradually recuperate diverse vegetation, soils, insects, microbial life, and watershed areas 60 , 75 . While rastrojo is viable for the natural recovery of soils and the environment, funding has yet to reach large areas and communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The post-conflict expansion of coca farming and illicit cattle ranching in Colombia

Murillo-Sandoval

Kilbride

Tellman

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Illicit cattle ranching and coca farming have serious negative consequences on the Colombian Amazon’s land systems. The underlying causes of these land activities include historical processes of colonization, armed conflict, and narco-trafficking. We aim to examine how illicit cattle ranching and coca farming are driving forest cover change over the last 34 years (1985–2019). To achieve this aim, we combine two pixel-based approaches to differentiate between coca farming and cattle ranching using hypothetical observed patterns of illicit activities and a deep learning algorithm. We found evidence that cattle ranching, not coca, is the main driver of forest loss outside the legal agricultural frontier. There is evidence of a recent, explosive conversion of forests to cattle ranching outside the agricultural frontier and within protected areas since the negotiation phase of the peace agreement. In contrast, coca is remarkably persistent, suggesting that crop substitution programs have been ineffective at stopping the expansion of coca farming deeper into protected areas. Countering common narratives, we found very little evidence that coca farming precedes cattle ranching. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the expansion of illicit land uses reflect the cumulative outcome of agrarian policies, Colombia’s War on Drugs, and the 2016 peace accord. Our study enables the differentiation of illicit land activities, which can be transferred to other regions where these activities have been documented but poorly distinguished spatiotemporally. We provide an applied framework that could be used elsewhere to disentangle other illicit land uses, track their causes, and develop management options for forested land systems and people who depend on them.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The post-conflict expansion of coca farming and illicit cattle ranching in Colombia

Murillo-Sandoval

Kilbride

Tellman

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…While some previously insecure regions have indeed become more accessible and peaceful, like the rural areas of the Sumapaz region (according to accounts of interviewed locals), other areas, for instance in Catatumbo, Antioquia, Nariño, Caquetá and Putumayo, are experiencing a resurgence of violent clashes between the Colombian military and different armed groups, for instance the ELN, FARC dissidents, criminal groups and international drug cartels (Meger & Sachseder, 2020;Nilsson & González Marín, 2020;Van Dexter et al, 2021).…”

Section: Social Media Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Colombia's violent peace is also the way in which territories themselves are transformed through the imposition of capitalist development interventions like those implemented through "territorial peace" that do not consider the everyday realities of communities. The imposition of agro-industrial development onto territories that insists on consolidating and controlling campesinos through "innovative" agro-technologies and certified seeds is directly tied to declines in agrobiodiversity and the degradation of soils on which campesinos' lives depend (Van Dexter et al, 2021). This threatens the possibilities of a "stable and lasting peace" (FARC-EP y Gobierno de Colombia, 2016).…”

Section: Acknowledging the Real Problems And Asking The Important Que...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The health of the environment many rural Colombians see themselves as part of is itself an integral component for peace, which can only be achieved if the very forests, soils and rivers that communities depend on are being protected and managed sustainably (Van Dexter et al, 2021). In a landmark sentence, the Colombian Supreme Court declared the Amazon as an entity of rights recognizing the 'fundamental rights to life', are 'substantially linked and determined by the environment and the ecosystem' (Surpreme Court of Justice, 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

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A new war on nature and people: taking stock of the Colombian peace agreement

et al. 2022

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Non-technical summary:Almost six years have passed since the Colombian peace agreement was signed. However, the promise of a 'Stable and lasting peace' is slipping away as the transition towards peace is increasingly tainted and overshadowed with violence. The future of Colombia is at a crossroad and without international support and action taken to monitor global supply chains, these particular drivers of conflict, violence and environmental degradation will persist. We summarize the current situation and shed light on the complexities of building peace in Colombia, with a particular focus on the environmental changes that took place since the peace agreement was signed. Technical summary:The Colombian peace agreement officially ended one of the world's longest internal armed conflicts. But the transformation of land use that takes place in the wake of the peace agreement, has made the historic inequalities of access to land more visible and revealed inherent and violent struggles over resources that persist across the country. In this briefing we analyse the current status of peacebuilding in Colombia and highlight the major barriers and challenges in the current peacebuilding efforts. We show how the last years brought severe and negative repercussions for people, communities and the natural environment in Colombia as cattle ranching, 'productive agriculture' and extractive industries are increasingly encroaching into indigenous territories, protected areas and forest ecosystems, replacing diverse natural forests that support biodiversity and contribute to human well-being locally and globally. The resurging presence of numerous armed groups seeking to control the profitable drug trade and mineral deposits are a major problem and obstacle for building lasting and sustainable peace among people and with the natural environment in Colombia. We conclude

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The corporate food regime in conflict zones: Armed violence and agriculture in the Zona de Reserva Campesina-Valle del Río Cimitarra, Colombia

Chohan

2024

Geoforum

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Sowing peace: Violence and agrobiodiversity in the Colombian Amazon

Cited by 5 publications

References 59 publications

The post-conflict expansion of coca farming and illicit cattle ranching in Colombia

The post-conflict expansion of coca farming and illicit cattle ranching in Colombia

A new war on nature and people: taking stock of the Colombian peace agreement

The corporate food regime in conflict zones: Armed violence and agriculture in the Zona de Reserva Campesina-Valle del Río Cimitarra, Colombia

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