Land: accumulated and badly used

Land in Colombia is concentrated in the hands of a few, and the recent evidence from Oxfam International shows that this tendency is on the increase.[1] Some actors have accumulated disproportionately large swathes of land which means that genuine conversations about agrarian reform have not taken place.[2] The large-scale landowners, terratenientes, have titles over vast areas of land and their monopoly over the country’s productive agriculture is growing.[3]

04.TierraCensada_EN — Illustration: Maria Fernanda Lessmes

In terms of how these accumulated lands are used, of the 43 million hectares currently used in Colombia for agricultural purposes, 34.4 million (80%) are destined for cattle farming, leaving just 20% for crop production.[4] According to Oxfam´s analysis, most of the land currently being used for cattle farming could be put to better use to produce food or for environmental conservation projects, and in fact the land assessed as adequate for cattle farming is half of that currently being used.[5]

Curbaradó — There is a marked poliarisation in perspectives on Colombia’s territory; one which recognises the rights of small-scale farmers to the land they cultivate, and the other that favours the concentration of land in the hands of a few through private property titles. Photo: Bianca Bauer

75% of land used in Colombia for producing crops is used for agricultural production for export and for large scale agro-industry.[6] This production has slowly displaced food production for internal consumption, which means that every year Colombia imports more basic foods that used to be produced in the country. Intensive agriculture techniques have resulted in greater use of fertilisers, which in turn generates greater dependency on the large agri-businesses that produce these chemicals, less crop rotation and a deterioration of soil quality.[7] These practices represent a loss of food sovereignty and an adherence to a global tendency towards privatised food systems, a trend that can be observed in many Latin American Countries.

35. Pavas — “There is a profound crisis linked to the imposition of models of development that seem to favour short-term profits and commodification over the needs and aspirations of local populations.” United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, 2017 Photo: Caldwell Manners/ECAP

As well as agricultural production, the economy is focused on extractive industries, with coal production nearly doubling in between 2000 and 2010, and mining concessions being approved at an extremely fast rate.[8] As previously mentioned, both periods of Juan Manuel Santos’ administration have made mining concessions the driver of development, as laid down in the National Development Plans.[9] In 2016 there were a total of 8,971 mining titles in the country, which represent 4,432,789 hectares.[10]

The road from Remedios to Lejanias. Photo: Caldwell Manners/ECAP — Deforestation increases: Colombia went from 64,417,900 hectares of forest in 1990 to 58,501,700 in 2015 which means a loss of almost six million hectares in 25 years. Between 2015 and the 2016 deforestation in Colombia rose 44%. Photo: Caldwell Manners/ECAP

Bearing in mind the statistics on land use, the 150,000 hectares destined for coca leaf production seems relatively small.[11] And yet national and international attention remains focused on coca and it dominates foreign policy towards Colombia, whereas there are few policies focused on the reduction of land used for cattle farming, for example, a policy that could have a greater impact in ensuring a more equitable distribution of land.

Cucuy — Protecting the páramos: The páramos (high altitude wetlands) are considered one of Colombia’s most vulnerable ecosystems. Recently there have been several legal interventions attempting to protect these delicate habitats, such as the Constitutional Court sentence that prohibits mining activity in the páramos, given that they are important water sources for the Colombian population. However, mining still continues to threaten these ecosystems. Photo: Bianca Bauer

Paramo de Sarna, foto de alex — Protecting the land: “The work of human rights defenders in the field of business and human rights is crucial to protecting the land and the environment, securing just and safe conditions of work, combating corruption, respecting indigenous cultures and rights and achieving sustainable development”, says United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, 2017. Photo: Alejandro González

Land in Colombia is so fertile that a wide range of crops can be produced on it due to the high concentration of minerals in the earth. The presence of these minerals means that the land is also full of natural resources, which are in high demand in the rest of the world. This richness is at the centre of tensions between different interests over land usage and is the fuel that generates the many different conflicts identified in the country.