Urban Agriculture, a Food Security Strategy for Colombia

Abstract

Written by the manager of Urbanagro S.A., this article presents urban agriculture as a strategy against the risk of food shortages in Colombia stemming from forced peasant displacement. The author distinguishes between food security and food sovereignty, and describes urban agriculture as the practice of growing, raising, and distributing food within or on the periphery of cities, adopted by bodies such as the UN and governments including Cuba, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. The text documents Urbanagro S.A.'s experience implementing urban-agriculture programs with various Colombian companies and communities, including programs with ECOPETROL in Barrancabermeja and with Wayúu communities in La Guajira.