Where water whispers, life sprouts: AGROSAVIA and the Ministry of Agriculture join the ladies of the Amazon to strengthen food

• As part of the project's commitments to the Ladies of the Amazon Association (ACDAMAZONIA), 1,100 red pacu fingerlings and 22 bags of commercial fish feed were delivered. These resources will help strengthen the community's food security and food sovereignty.

 

Florencia, Caquetá. June 30, 2026. Deep within the thick green landscapes of Caquetá, near the headwaters of Las Damitas Creek, where springs emerge among roots and moss, a group of rural women is cultivating far more than food—they are cultivating hope. They are members of the Ladies of the Amazon Peasant Women's Association (ACDAMAZONIA), a network of voices and hands that, from the rural community of Las Damas in Florencia, is committed to life, sustainable agriculture, and peace.

Through the project "Development of Food Production Strategies that Guarantee Food Security and Food Sovereignty through an Agroecological Approach Adapted to Each Region and Based on Intercultural Dialogue Between Scientists and Local Communities," implemented by Corporación colombiana de investigación agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA) and funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, these women have received resources that are transforming their daily lives. Agricultural inputs, technical assistance, productive infrastructure, and ongoing support are enabling them to improve production, increase the value of their products, and, above all, enhance their quality of life with greater dignity.

There, where the river and the rainforest converge, AGROSAVIA, through its Florencia–Costayaco Research Station, in collaboration with the Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Rural Development, arrived not with prearranged solutions but with a genuine process of dialogue. Through this exchange of knowledge, these guardians of the territory received 1,100 red pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) fingerlings—a native Amazonian species whose presence in the ponds of La Pradera Farm symbolizes a future built from the region's water, land, and traditional knowledge.

The red pacu, a resilient native fish that inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, represents far more than a source of food. It embodies memory, culture, and resilience. Its high-quality meat and rapid growth have made it one of the flagship species of native aquaculture, and today, in the hands of the women of ACDAMAZONIA, it also serves as a pathway toward greater food autonomy.

The initiative also promotes a diversified agroecological production system integrating Felipita (leaves and fruits) with cassava, plantain, maize, and pineapple, as well as household gardens that directly contribute to family nutrition. This combination of productive activities strengthens the resilience of farming systems while improving the efficient use of available resources. Every seed, every fingerling, and every cultivated furrow represents an act of food sovereignty.

This effort is aligned with AGROSAVIA's 2026 Strategic Framework for Goals and Results, through which AGROSAVIA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development continue advancing toward food security under an agroecological approach. The objective is not to impose external technologies but to co-create solutions through intercultural dialogue that are as relevant and sustainable as the territories where they are implemented.

The project, which spans Colombia's Andean, Caribbean, Pacific–Insular, and Amazon regions, seeks to ensure that these initiatives extend beyond local implementation and become scalable models that inspire transformation across the country. To achieve this, AGROSAVIA professionals from the Tibaitatá and El Mira Research Centers, together with the Florencia Research Station, apply participatory methodologies that include tools such as participatory community mapping, SWOT analysis, and the IPPTA assessment instrument. These approaches facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers and producers while creating spaces to listen, learn, and innovate collaboratively.

Because in the Amazon, where water whispers ancient stories, ACDAMAZONIA demonstrates that another model of rural development is possible—one that is more equitable, more diverse, and more vibrant. Moreover, AGROSAVIA is there not to lead from above, but to learn, grow, and build alongside the communities it serves.