By Joel Clarin | Funding officer
AgroAvanza project progress report
The AgroAvanza project continues to make meaningful progress in strengthening the technical, entrepreneurial, and commercial capacities of small-scale farmers in Bogotá, Boyacá, and Cundinamarca. During this reporting period, our team worked closely with participating producers to improve their production systems, build business skills, and prepare new commercialization opportunities that can increase their income and long-term resilience.
Our approach combines agroecological production, technical assistance, and market-oriented business development. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, we work directly with each producer to identify their specific needs and opportunities, ensuring that support is adapted to local realities and individual goals.
Strengthening agroecological production systems
One of the project’s main priorities has been improving the productivity and sustainability of participating farms. During this period, comprehensive improvement plans were developed for 16 producers, while the remaining plans are currently being finalized. These plans are based on participatory assessments carried out with farmers and focus on practical measures to increase production efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen agroecological practices.
The improvement plans include recommendations for infrastructure upgrades, irrigation systems, biofactories for organic inputs, and other technologies that can improve production while reducing dependence on external agricultural inputs. Eleven biofactories and irrigation systems were implemented or upgraded during this period, providing producers with practical tools to improve crop management and increase resilience.
Capacity building has also been a central component of the project. Three technical workshops were organized, bringing together 86 participants over two days. The workshops focused on:
These sessions combined practical agricultural knowledge with economic and planning skills, helping producers understand not only how to improve production, but also how to make their farming systems more financially sustainable.
Building stronger rural businesses
In addition to technical support, AgroAvanza is helping farmers strengthen their businesses and prepare for better market opportunities. A Market and Business Development specialist joined the project team and conducted 22 individualized business diagnostics with participating producers.
These assessments examined each producer’s socio-economic situation, branding, marketing materials, business relationships, and commercialization strategies. The process identified strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, allowing the project team to design tailored support plans for each participant.
A business management training workshop was also held to strengthen producers’ entrepreneurial capacities. During the session, participants worked on aligning their business plans with their current production capacity and future growth objectives. They also assessed their existing knowledge in marketing, financial management, and administrative organization.
Based on these assessments, individualized capacity-building plans were developed to provide targeted technical assistance and practical business tools that can improve financial sustainability and market access over time.
Preparing new market opportunities
Improving production is only sustainable if farmers can access reliable markets. For this reason, the project has begun developing new commercialization strategies that connect producers with buyers and strengthen rural value chains.
The information gathered through the business diagnostics is being used to create a digital and physical product catalog that will showcase producers’ products and facilitate commercial connections. The project team is also identifying appropriate digital marketing tools and communication strategies for participating producers.
Discussions have been initiated with strategic commercialization partners to analyze logistical operations and identify opportunities to improve product distribution and market integration. These efforts are laying the groundwork for expanding commercialization channels during the next phase of the project.
At the same time, the communications team is developing a media campaign that highlights producers, their products, and the value of agroecological agriculture, helping increase the visibility of participating farmers and their production systems.
Challenges and lessons learned
The project has also faced several challenges. The diversity among producers in terms of technical knowledge, production capacity, and available resources has required highly flexible training and technical assistance approaches. Rather than viewing this diversity as a limitation, it has reinforced the importance of individualized support and participatory planning.
Another challenge has been coordinating project activities with farmers’ agricultural responsibilities, which can affect participation in workshops and follow-up activities. In response, the project team has adapted methodologies and scheduling to better accommodate producers’ availability.
A key lesson emerging from this phase is that integrating technical agricultural support with business development creates stronger and more sustainable outcomes. Producers are increasingly linking production decisions with market demand, financial planning, and long-term economic goals.
Looking ahead
The next phase of AgroAvanza will focus on completing the remaining improvement plans, advancing the producer certification process, expanding business support, and strengthening commercialization channels through the product catalog, communication campaigns, and partnerships with strategic market actors.
The strong engagement of participating producers and the collaborative design of activities continue to be one of the project’s greatest strengths. By combining agroecological innovation with entrepreneurial development, AgroAvanza is helping small-scale farmers build more resilient production systems and create better economic opportunities for their families and communities.
We are grateful to GlobalGiving donors for making this work possible. Your support is helping small-scale farmers strengthen their livelihoods, improve sustainable food production, and build a more resilient rural economy in Colombia.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
