Inclusive food supply model with small and medium-sized producers
History and location of the experience
This experience, located in Colombia's Meta department, is comprised of four municipalities, with the two most important being the capital Villavicencio and Acacías. Villavicencio is the most important commercial centre in the eastern region of the country known as the Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales), and is located in the foothills of the Eastern Ranges (Cordillera Oriental) of the Andes Mountains. Meanwhile, Acacías is a municipality located 30 km from Villavicencio that is characterized by its biodiversity and high number of national and international tourists who come for the annual Return Festival (Fiesta del Retorno).
The inclusive supply model is made up of 190 participants, belonging to 36 families from the four municipalities. It should be noted that all participants belong to one of the two existing associations: the Association of Agroindustrial Producers of Piedemonte Llanero (ASPRA) in Villavicencio, which brings together small-scale producers dedicated to the cultivation of coffee, cocoa and fruit, and the Association of Aquaculture Producers of Llano (ACUILLANOS) in Acacias, which is made up of 20 families and is a family agricultural organization focused on the production of cachama, mojarra and other species.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
The services offered in Villavicencio include walks and hiking, as well as horseback riding and mountain biking. In addition, visitors can learn about the coffee culture of the region and intercropping with fruit trees. Accommodation is available in the homes of local community members, as well as at campsites.
In Acacias, accommodation is also available at campsites or in traditional lodging in the homes of the association's members, where visitors may enjoy typical cuisine from the region. In addition, fishing is available in this area, as well as hiking, visits to nearby towns and horseback riding.
In terms of promotion, the inclusive supply model has three main partners: the Institute of Tourism, the Mayor's Office of the municipalities of Villavicencio and Acacías, and the Governor's Office of Meta department. These institutions facilitate the participation of organizations in networks for the marketing and promotion of tourism services. The services offered by the community are also promoted through social networks such as Facebook, which can be accessed here . The members of both associations have mobile phones, which allow frequent access to the social network.
Food exchange corridor for aquaculture, poultry, agricultural and ecotourism products
History and location of the experience
The experience is located in San Bernardo del Viento, a municipality in the department of Córdoba. This is located on the north coast of Colombia at the mouth of the Sinú River in the Caribbean Sea, 78 km from the department's capital of Montería. The main participants in this experience are the peasant families belonging to the Community Association for the Conservation of the American Crocodile in Cispatá Bay (ASOCAIMAN), FAO Colombia, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Territory Renewal Agency (ART), the Association of Agricultural Producers of Caño Grande (APRACAG), and the Committee for Monitoring, Conservation of the Environment and Artisanal Fishermen of Caño Grande (COVICOMPAGRA). The local associations represent a total of 109 Afro-descendants, who benefit directly from the tourist activity.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
Due to the fact that visitors to the corridor must be transported by boat through the canals, the community has a pier for the embarkation of passengers. The experience offers three different routes with the opportunity to enjoy different ecotourism experiences, such as visiting the mangrove forest and observing its synergy with the environment. It is also possible to see the fauna of the area such as birds, iguanas, manatees and otters. In addition, as part of this experience, visitors can learn about the productive activities of the community, such as agroecological rice production, fish farming, vegetable and aromatic crops.
Members of the food exchange corridor have limited access to computers, tablets and mobile phones. However, the organization promotes its services through social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and others. For more information about the experience and its tourist services, see the Caño Grande Apracag Facebook page.
Renacer project
History and location of the experience
The Renacer project is a development experience, which is aimed at promoting the adoption of new technologies by the community that produces and markets micro-lot coffee in the villages of Peñalosa, El Garrucho, Guadalupe and El Rodeo, which are in the municipality of Gigante. This municipality is located in the central eastern part of the department of Huila, near the Magdalena River. The main economic activities in the municipality are agriculture, livestock, fish farming, oil extraction and electricity generation.
Initially, the project has been supported by various Colombian coffee institutions, the National Federation of Coffee Growers and the company Procafecol (Juan Valdez). In addition, it has partnered with Microsoft Colombia, Anditel and American Tower, which are specialized in network infrastructure, telecommunications and Internet connections. FAO has also recently joined the project as a strategic partner.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
As the project is still in development, there are no services available yet. Even so, and considering the characteristics of the sector, the potential services could include hiking, sightseeing, indigenous cuisine and the cross-selling of agri-food products from the region.
Piaroa indigenous people's spiritual tourism experience
History and location of the experience
The spiritual tourism experience is located on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, on the banks of the Orinoco River, in the department of Vichada. The experience is offered by the Piaroa indigenous people, also called Wothuja. This Amazonian people have traditionally inhabited the middle Orinoco river basin, as well as the middle and upper reaches of the Sipapo and Cuao rivers. They are currently in the Gran Selva de Matevén Reserve, where the San Luis de Zama and La Urbana communities are located.
The way of life of the Piaroa people is based on the concept of respect and the idea that everyone can help to heal nature by healing themselves, in order to reach the state of Esekua Wiri'ka, or harmony and balance. As part of this search, the experience of spiritual tourism is oriented towards "healing" and "purification" at the hands of traditional doctors and Piaroa shamans from the community of San Luis de Zama, located in the jungle, hills, and savannah of the Matavén forest.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
In addition to ancestral spiritual services, the tourism experience offers hiking, river tours (Orinoco River), sightseeing, lodging, traditional Piaroa cuisine, visits to family and community farming systems, and handicrafts.
Hacienda Venecia
History and location of the experience
Hacienda Venecia is a coffee farm located 18.5 km from Manizales, the capital city of the department of Caldas, in one of the main areas of Colombia's mountainous coffee belt. The city is characterized by its cultural events, with its main economic activities related to industry, commerce and tourism.
In addition to Hacienda Venecia, local families of coffee collectors and small-scale coffee producers participate in the experience. The farm opened its doors to the public in 2009 with the aim of sharing knowledge about the coffee culture, including the cultivation, processing, export, roasting and marketing of coffee.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
Activities are available in the Hacienda itself, as well as in nearby places of interest. Among the services offered are a coffee tour (tasting and production), a basic barista and coffee appreciation workshop, a chocolate craft workshop, the rum craft experience, a banana cooking workshop, bird watching, hiking, a bicycle tour, lodging services and typical gastronomy of the region.
The members of Hacienda Venecia have a high level of knowledge and use of information technologies. This level of digitization has allowed the company to promote and publicize its services through the website haciendavenecia.com, as well as interact with interest groups related to coffee in other parts of the world and Colombia. In addition, this knowledge has led to tourism services in the back and front office being digitized and having their own platforms for commercial management and distribution of the experience and its products. Also, the Hacienda has specific applications designed to be used by the community or related projects. It should also be noted that partnerships have been negotiated for the export of retail products through Amazon.
Parque Nacional Arroz, Hacienda la Guaira
History and location of the experience
The Parque Nacional Arroz is an agrotourism park located 1.5 km from the municipality of Alvarado, which in turn is 40 km from the department's capital of Tolima. Alvarado has sites of historical, tourist and geographical interest, and is located near the Alvarado River.
As part of the agrotourism experience, visitors learn about the rice production process from its cultivation to the presentation of the final product, at which time it is ready for commercialization. The main participants in this experience are the private company Parque Nacional del Arroz PA-La Guaira, local rural families, small-scale producers and rice traders.
What does it offer?
What does it offer?
The services offered are focused on rice production agri-food systems, including hiking (rice tour), sightseeing, lodging, bird watching, indigenous cuisine, and tours of the different stages of agricultural production.
The participants in the experience have a high level of digitization, which has allowed them to use digital tools that facilitate the provision of services, as well as providing information to tourists. One of the tools is the website parquenacionaldelarroz.com, a space dedicated to the promotion, marketing and dissemination of the park's tourism services. In addition to this tool, there are specific applications for use by the community or related projects.
