Peasant, Family and Community Farming: A renewed peasantry perspective for the peace in Colombia

Abstract

The growing interest about the Colombian peasantry in the post-conflict stage makes it necessary a theoretical reflection on its historical and political characteristics. Objective. The emergence of the Family Farming category in Colombia and its relationship with previous denominations is analyzed. Materials and methods. This study took into account Latin American sources of information in general and Colombian in particular, related to the peasantry and the different theoretical approaches as well as historical events that have marked important changes at the national level. Results. The designation of Farming, Family and Community Agriculture (FFCA) is highlighted as a category for Colombia in tune with the global discussions on peasantry´s rights and the national reflection on the necessary conditions for the peace building. Conclusions. The suggested definition is integrating the characteristics of peasants, indigenous, Afro-Colombians and others, and demonstrates the enormous socio-cultural, economic and environmental diversity that characterizes the territories that they build and occupy. The agroecological approach is proposed, as a strategy in order to strengthen the different forms of FFCA.