Evaluation of the impact of conservation agriculture in the sustainable agricultural change in the andean central region of Colombia

Abstract

Sustainable innovations such as the agriculture of conservation for agricultural restructuring in the Andean central region of Colombia had a relative success in some areas in the past two decades. However, the continuous soil degradation and the destruction of uplands raise the need to propose new strategies that are based on research in order to favor the diffusion of these innovations. An evaluation of the main positive impacts that an important group of technicians have detected in the development of the “Checua Project”, conducted by the Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca, was made. Results have characterized an almost homogeneous group of well experienced innovators that are willing to collaborate in the diffusion of conservation agriculture. Favorable opportunities were found. If an adequate administration of innovation activities, with political participation and with the presence of interested people, is done, it may allow a fast multiplication of the innovation in a medium-term period, in order to assure an important area forthe sustainable restructuring of the Andean agroecosystems.