Situación actual de la distribución de la tierra en Colombia y los usos productivos del suelo
Colombia se encuentra entre los países de América Latina con menor abundancia relativa de suelos arables. Según datos de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO), únicamente el 3,6% de la tierra total puede ser incluida dentro de los suelos arables. A esta limitación se añade el uso inadecuado de los suelos. Según el Instituto de Geografía Agustín Codazzi (IGAC), en Colombia hay 9 millones de hectáreas aptas para la agricultura, pero se utilizan para este fin únicamente 5 millones. En cambio, hay 19 millones de hectáreas aptas para la ganadería pero se utilizan 40 millones, de las cuales sólo 5 millones son tierras de pastos mejorados, mientras que el resto (35 millones de hectáreas) se explota de manera extensiva. En conjunto, el 45% de los suelos del país se destina a usos inadecuados.
Según la Encuesta Agropecuaria del Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística(DANE 1996), la distribución de la propiedad sigue un patrón de uso del suelo que no favorece a la agricultura: las explotaciones más pequeñas (menores de 5 ha), que equivalen al 46,8% del total de las fincas y que controlan solamente el 3,2% de la tierra, destinan el 38,6% de su superficie a usos agrícolas, mientras que las explotaciones mayores de 200 ha, que equivalen al 2,8% del total de las fincas, controlan el 39,0% de la tierra y solamente destinan a usos agrícolas el 2,5% de su superficie, sin que se observen diferencias en la productividad que sugieran un mejor aprovechamiento por unidad de superficie en las explotaciones mayores. Las fincas de mayor tamaño dedican a la ganadería extensiva el 72,3% de su superficie y en ellas se localiza el 42,1% de las tierras ganaderas (Fajardo 2002).
Desplazamientos forzados en el desarrollo de la agricultura comercial colombiana
La información sobre las condiciones técnicas y económicas de las áreas de predominancia minifundista, caracterizadas por la mayor emigración revela un continuo desequilibrio entre tierra y población, desequilibrio producido por la disminución permanente del potencial productivo de la tierra y el crecimiento de su población excedente, efecto de unas elevadas tasas de fecundidad. Las formas de propiedad y sucesión dominantes en las áreas de minifundio, generan la subdivisión de las fincas hasta escalas improductivas. Al mismo tiempo, los sistemas de producción, caracterizados por la explotación intensiva de los recursos naturales con cortos períodos de barbecho debidos a la limitada disponibilidad de tierras, generan deforestaciones, pérdida de cubiertas vegetales, disminución de la biodiversidad y de la retención del recurso hídrico y erosión de los suelos. Todas estas circunstancias dan como resultado la pérdida del potencial productivo en estas áreas.
El avance de la concentración de la propiedad en las áreas de mayor potencial productivo, impide resolver el desequilibrio entre tierra y población de las áreas minifundistas con el acceso a nuevas tierras. De acuerdo con el IDEAM, en 2001 el 33,9% de los suelos del país estaban afectados por grados de erosión entre “moderada” y “muy severa”, al tiempo que en la región Caribe el 28,3% de los suelos se encontraba salificado. Entre 1990 y 1997 desaparecieron los cultivos de más de 700 mil hectáreas: en 1990 se sembraron 2,5 millones de hectáreas de cultivos semestrales y 1,2 millones de hectáreas en permanentes, en tanto que en1997 las siembras fueron de 1,6 millones de hectáreas en semestrales y 1,4 en permanentes. En estos últimos, los incrementos anuales más importantes son frutas (8,5%), palma africana (6,9%), caña de azúcar (5,5%) y banano (3,7%). La tendencia hacia el descenso de los cultivos semestrales en contraste con el crecimiento de los permanentes, representados en Colombia especialmente por el banano y la palma africana, ha estado asociada en otros países con intensos conflictos en torno a la tierra y
a las relaciones laborales (Darío Fajardo FAO).
En el caso de la expansión bananera en el Urabá, las plantaciones establecidas a partir de los años 1960 ocuparon tierras previamente colonizadas por distintas oleadas de pobladores desplazados de otras regiones
del país, siguiendo patrones conocidos en los cuales la compra a menosprecio de sus mejoras los colocó rápidamente en la oferta de mano de obra para la nueva industria. En cuanto a la palma africana, su desarrollo ha estado relacionado igualmente con graves tensiones sociales. Las fuentes consultadas revelan que si bien existen pequeñas explotaciones de este cultivo, de las 127 mil hectáreas registradas, 109,4 corresponden a plantaciones de más de 100 hectáreas, de ellas 24 cuentan con más de 1.000 hectáreas y controlan el 44,9% de la superficie plantada registrada.Bibliofilia:
FAJARDO, Darío (2002). “La tierra y el poder político la reforma agraria y la reforma rural en Colombia”, Revista Reforma Agraria Colonización y Cooperativas, No. 2002/1, pp. 4-20.
BSTRACT
Current status of land distribution in Colombia and productive uses of land
Colombia is among the Latin American countries with lower relative abundance of arable land. According to the Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), only 3.6% of total land can be included in arable soils. This limitation is added to the misuse of the soil. According to Agustin Codazzi Geographical Institute (IGAC) in Colombia there are 9 million hectares suitable for agriculture but are used for this purpose only 5 million. In contrast, there are 19 million hectares suitable for livestock but used 40 million, of which only 5 million are improved pasture land, while the remainder (35 million hectares) is exploited extensively. Overall, 45% of the country's land is intended to misuse.
According to the Agricultural Survey of the National Administrative Statistics Department (DANE 1996), the distribution of property follows a pattern of land use that is not conducive to agriculture: the smallest farms (less than 5 ha), equivalent to 46, 8% of all farms and controlled only 3.2% of the land, spend 38.6% of land to agricultural uses, while farms over 200 ha, equivalent to 2.8% of total farms, control 39.0% of the land and only intended for agricultural uses 2.5% of its surface was not observed productivity differences that suggest a better use per unit area on larger holdings . Larger farms dedicated to cattle ranching, 72.3% of its surface and these are located 42.1% of the cattle lands (Fajardo 2002).
Forced displacement in the development of commercial agriculture in Colombia
Information on the technical and economic characteristics of predominant smallholder areas, characterized by increased migration reveals a continuing imbalance between land and population imbalance produced by the permanent reduction of the productive potential of land and the surplus population growth, effect very high rates of fertility. Forms of ownership and succession dominant in the areas of small farms, generate the subdivision of farms to stop unproductive. At the same time, production systems, characterized by the intensive exploitation of natural resources with short fallow periods due to the limited availability of land, generate deforestation, loss of vegetation cover, reduced biodiversity and retention of water resources and soil erosion. All these circumstances result in the loss of productive potential in these areas.
The progress of the concentration of ownership in the higher potential areas, preventing resolve the imbalance between land and population of smallholder areas with access to new land. According to the IDEAM, in 2001 33.9% of the country's soils were affected by degree of erosion between "moderate" and "very severe", while in the Caribbean region, 28.3% of soils salified found. Between 1990 and 1997 crops disappeared more than 700 thousand hectares, in 1990 were planted 2.5 million hectares of semi and 1.2 million hectares in permanent, while plantings in 1997 were 1.6 million and 1.4 hectares in semi-permanent. In the latter, the largest annual increases are fruits (8.5%), oil palm (6.9%), sugarcane (5.5%) and bananas (3.7%). The declining trend of the semester crops in contrast to the growth of permanent representation in Colombia, especially bananas and oil palm has been associated in other countries with intense conflicts over land and
labor relations (Dario Fajardo FAO).
In the case of the expansion of banana plantations in Urabá, plantations established from the 1960 occupied lands previously settled by several waves of people displaced from other regions
the country, following known patterns in which the purchase contempt of its improvements quickly placed them in the supply of labor for the new industry. As for the palm, its development has also been associated with serious social tensions. The sources reveal that while there are small holdings of this crop of 127 hectares registered 109.4 plantations belong to more than 100 hectares, of which 24 have more than 1,000 hectares and 44.9% of control registered plantings.
Bibliophile:
FAJARDO, Dario (2002). "The land and political power of agrarian reform and rural reform in Colombia", Revista Reform Land Settlement and Cooperatives, No. 2002 / 1, pp. 4-20.
BSTRACT
Current status of land distribution in Colombia and productive uses of land
Colombia is among the Latin American countries with lower relative abundance of arable land. According to the Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), only 3.6% of total land can be included in arable soils. This limitation is added to the misuse of the soil. According to Agustin Codazzi Geographical Institute (IGAC) in Colombia there are 9 million hectares suitable for agriculture but are used for this purpose only 5 million. In contrast, there are 19 million hectares suitable for livestock but used 40 million, of which only 5 million are improved pasture land, while the remainder (35 million hectares) is exploited extensively. Overall, 45% of the country's land is intended to misuse.
According to the Agricultural Survey of the National Administrative Statistics Department (DANE 1996), the distribution of property follows a pattern of land use that is not conducive to agriculture: the smallest farms (less than 5 ha), equivalent to 46, 8% of all farms and controlled only 3.2% of the land, spend 38.6% of land to agricultural uses, while farms over 200 ha, equivalent to 2.8% of total farms, control 39.0% of the land and only intended for agricultural uses 2.5% of its surface was not observed productivity differences that suggest a better use per unit area on larger holdings . Larger farms dedicated to cattle ranching, 72.3% of its surface and these are located 42.1% of the cattle lands (Fajardo 2002).
Forced displacement in the development of commercial agriculture in Colombia
Information on the technical and economic characteristics of predominant smallholder areas, characterized by increased migration reveals a continuing imbalance between land and population imbalance produced by the permanent reduction of the productive potential of land and the surplus population growth, effect very high rates of fertility. Forms of ownership and succession dominant in the areas of small farms, generate the subdivision of farms to stop unproductive. At the same time, production systems, characterized by the intensive exploitation of natural resources with short fallow periods due to the limited availability of land, generate deforestation, loss of vegetation cover, reduced biodiversity and retention of water resources and soil erosion. All these circumstances result in the loss of productive potential in these areas.
The progress of the concentration of ownership in the higher potential areas, preventing resolve the imbalance between land and population of smallholder areas with access to new land. According to the IDEAM, in 2001 33.9% of the country's soils were affected by degree of erosion between "moderate" and "very severe", while in the Caribbean region, 28.3% of soils salified found. Between 1990 and 1997 crops disappeared more than 700 thousand hectares, in 1990 were planted 2.5 million hectares of semi and 1.2 million hectares in permanent, while plantings in 1997 were 1.6 million and 1.4 hectares in semi-permanent. In the latter, the largest annual increases are fruits (8.5%), oil palm (6.9%), sugarcane (5.5%) and bananas (3.7%). The declining trend of the semester crops in contrast to the growth of permanent representation in Colombia, especially bananas and oil palm has been associated in other countries with intense conflicts over land and
labor relations (Dario Fajardo FAO).
In the case of the expansion of banana plantations in Urabá, plantations established from the 1960 occupied lands previously settled by several waves of people displaced from other regions
the country, following known patterns in which the purchase contempt of its improvements quickly placed them in the supply of labor for the new industry. As for the palm, its development has also been associated with serious social tensions. The sources reveal that while there are small holdings of this crop of 127 hectares registered 109.4 plantations belong to more than 100 hectares, of which 24 have more than 1,000 hectares and 44.9% of control registered plantings.
Bibliophile:
FAJARDO, Dario (2002). "The land and political power of agrarian reform and rural reform in Colombia", Revista Reform Land Settlement and Cooperatives, No. 2002 / 1, pp. 4-20.