Agrarian District of Marinilla

Abstract

Written by the then-mayor of Marinilla, this article presents the pilot experience of this eastern Antioquia municipality's Agrarian District, a land-use planning proposal aimed at safeguarding agricultural activity and the peasant economy against decades of Green Revolution-driven deterioration and pressure from Aburrá Valley urban expansion. The author documents that the eastern Antioquia highland provides approximately 28% of the food entering Medellín's markets, and describes the District's principles and strategies, including the Peasant School, with 192 graduates since 1998, and its expansion toward a proposed Regional Agrarian District already involving twelve committed municipalities.