AGROSAVIA held the III International Seminar on Technology Transfer and Appropriation – Technology: A view from the other side

Rionegro, Antioquia. November 8, 2024. AGROSAVIA, in alliance with the Cañamomo Lomaprieta indigenous reservation of colonial origin, held the III International Seminar on Technology Transfer, under the motto "Technology: A View from the Other Side." This event brought together prominent community members of the reservation, both men and women, as well as four women from different backgrounds and circumstances who spoke about their experience and the role of technology in their communities and lives.

The event was moderated by María Fernanda Garrido Rubiano, Ph.D. Researcher at AGROSAVIA, who said, "We have proposed an event where we want to reflect on what technology means in our daily lives and in our work as community members, farmers, researchers, and how technology reaches us. Listening to each other and learning from each other requires a certain formality, and that is why we are here." Local leaders, such as the Governor of the Reservation, Kellerman Guerrero Trejos, and Jorge Mario Díaz Luengas, Executive Director of AGROSAVIA, attended the event.

The event was held on November 7, 2024, at Recinto del Pensamiento La Mandrágora in the Cañamomo Lomaprieta Reservation in Riosucio, Caldas. The event offered a complete experience that included presentations, a central conversation, memory activities, fairs and product exchanges, and a field tour.

This seminar was an initiative of AGROSAVIA to explore and understand the multiple aspects of technology through the voices of women producers. Technology transfer in an agricultural and indigenous context transcended its traditional role as a tool, becoming a means for autonomy and sustainable development.

By facilitating the exchange of experiences and knowledge, AGROSAVIA promoted a vision where technology is not just a set of products or services, but a way to empower and strengthen local capacities.

The event's methodology encouraged dialogue and active listening, and participants shared their stories and visions about technology and its impact on agricultural production. Jorge Mario Díaz, Executive Director of AGROSAVIA mentioned, "This meeting allowed us to continue to make progress in closing gaps between the knowledge we generate as a Research Center but also the adoption of that knowledge and the transfer of technology that serve as a basis for the construction of legitimate knowledge dialogues with local communities."

For AGROSAVIA, these meetings represented a crucial step in its purpose of supporting the development of the Colombian agricultural sector, especially in communities where technology must be adapted to specific realities. This seminar was part of a series of events launched in 2022, aimed at redefining technology transfer and appropriation, and opening spaces for critical thinking and intercultural dialogue.