Producers from Six Municipalities in Tolima to Receive Commemorative Diplomas for Their Participation in the Farmer Field Schools

Espinal, Tolima. July 21, 2025. Farmers from the municipalities of Cajamarca, Casabianca, Fresno, Herveo, Mariquita, and Palocabildo will be recognized in symbolic ceremonies for their active participation in the Farmer Field Schools (Escuelas de Campo - ECA), developed since 2022 within the framework of the Royalties Project for the Social Appropriation of Knowledge.

On July 18, the first of six commemorative and symbolic graduation ceremonies took place. These will continue over the coming month and are expected to recognize around 136 producers from Tolima. These activities are the result of joint efforts between the research team from AGROSAVIA’s Nataima Research Center and the participating farming families, through the various activities carried out during the three years of the project's technical implementation.

The project, led by AGROSAVIA in partnership with the University of Tolima and the Cooperative University of Colombia, had as its main objective to improve the level of social appropriation of knowledge among small-scale agricultural producers of coffee, cacao, avocado, lime, and arracacha production systems in the department of Tolima.

One of the project's central components was the implementation of Farmer Field Schools (ECA), spaces designed to foster the exchange of knowledge between technical expertise and the ancestral wisdom of rural communities. For three years, the ECAs operated as settings for collaborative learning, collective knowledge building, and the strengthening of local capacities.

The process began with the project's introduction in each territory, generating an initial approach and building trust-based relationships with the producers. Subsequently, individual characterization interviews were conducted in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the production conditions, farming practices, and specific needs of each farmer.

In addition, focus groups were held to collectively analyze local issues using participatory tools such as the problem tree and the prioritization of production challenges. Based on these inputs, the farmers and the technical team engaged in a joint decision-making process that allowed them to define the priority topics to be addressed during the ECA sessions.

Project lead researcher Vivian Coy stated: “The implementation of the social appropriation of knowledge project activities strengthened the productive capacities of the farmers. Through co-creation spaces, local knowledge was integrated with AGROSAVIA’s scientific expertise, facilitating the adoption of technologies to improve crop management. This boosted productivity, promoted transformation and added value to products, and encouraged collaborative work among producers from different municipalities.”

The social component was a cornerstone in the implementation of the ECAs, as the project not only focused on increasing production but also adopted a more holistic and systemic approach to farm management, including the strengthening of collective initiative and teamwork.

“The social appropriation of knowledge project stood out for its direct engagement with producers, where trust-based relationships were built that enabled the successful development of scheduled activities. Producers not only regularly participated in the ECA sessions, but many of them also decided to adopt and integrate the techniques used by researchers or by producers from other regions. Constant communication with participants over the three years enabled the construction of a stronger social fabric that encouraged interaction, support, and collaboration among producers to address agronomic challenges in the areas where their crops were located,” emphasized Daniela Villarreal, research support professional.

Through these commemorative ceremonies, the commitment, active participation, and valuable contributions of rural producers in Tolima are being recognized in the construction of solutions aimed at strengthening their production systems and knowledge management in the territory.