Convergence of Knowledge and Grassroots Organizations in Peasant Schools

Abstract

This article historically analyzes the evolution of the peasant agroecological school movement in Colombia, tracing its conceptual origin to the coining of the term "agroecology" in Chile in the 1970s, and critically examining the role of development NGOs as intermediaries of international cooperation. The author describes how the concept of the Peasant Agroecological School emerged, organized as self-managed local units of around ten neighboring families, with rotating roles and no external certification. The text presents results from a 2004 national gathering of agroecological schools, which identified fourteen active schools concentrated in southwestern Colombia.