‘Take a look: these are Mulato peppers. They taste a bit like chocolate. Over there, cat’s claws are just sprouting; they are well known for their healing properties. And here, we are cultivating Cucharo seedlings. They play an important role in the local páramo ecosystems, as they can survive even at altitudes of over 3’000 meters and in very nutrient-poor soils. Cucharo trees even help soils to recover.
Over the decades, farming and livestock rearing have become increasingly intensive here. Ever since, much of the soil has been depleted and water sources have become polluted or dried up. Our landscape – once beautifully lush – now looks quite barren, I think. At the same time, we are also feeling the effects of climate change more strongly – such as longer droughts or unreliable rainy seasons.
This naturally affects our daily lives and livelihoods. It is the reason why we are restoring native tree species such as Cucharo and care for our land using sustainable approaches. As a farmer, I obviously enjoy harvesting a lot. But I also take pleasure in preserving the soil and restoring the landscape – not just for us who are living here, but for the planet as well.’
‘Currently, I am doing a course in farmers’ rights and public law at the state vocational college. I think it is important to stand up for our rights, especially those of us women farmers. As part of the SWISSAID project, I am taking part in workshops and exchanging ideas with other women to learn how I can better represent our interests and strengthen our voice in local decision-making processes.
It is not easy being a female farmer in Colombia. What we earn is nowhere near proportional to the work that we do. And it is becoming increasingly challenging. Climate change is destroying our crops more frequently. Whatever remains, we must sell at truly low prices through profit-driven middlemen.
I hope that we will soon have better access to markets and fair prices in the High Andes. That our roads will be repaired and that we will not have to first transport our produce – in the middle of the 21st century – by mules for several days.’
The páramos in the High Andes, a unique blend of high-altitude moorland and highland steppe, cover only around 2 per cent of Colombia’s land area – yet they provide over 70 per cent of the country’s water supply. Intensive agriculture and livestock farming are putting increasing pressure on this sensitive ecosystem. Many small-scale farmers are therefore turning to agroecological farming methods that conserve soil and water sources.
Colombia is one of the countries with the highest concentration of land ownership in the world. Decades of conflict have driven millions of smallholder farmers from their land; to this day, most agricultural land remains in the hands of a small number of farming businesses. Women farmers are particularly affected: only 26 per cent own the land they farm.
Around one in four women in rural areas belongs to an ethnic minority. As women and members of ethnic communities, many of them face greater difficulties in accessing land, education, credit and political participation. At the same time, they play a central role in agriculture, food security and the preservation of traditional knowledge.
‘To improve food security in the region, we must involve women more, invite them to take part in discussions and allow them to participate in the community development plans. In my view, women play a central role in agriculture: they decide what the family eats, how the vegetable garden is laid out and how the animals are looked after, so that breakfast, lunch and dinner are on the table every day.
An agricultural system without women? I cannot imagine that. I, for one, am very proud to be a woman farmer from Boyacá – a hard-working woman who does not let anything bring her down, who braves harsh winds and forges her own path. For myself and for my whole family.’
Name: Emilce Reyes
Age: 48
Location: El Monte, Boyacá, Kolumbien
‘We women in rural areas are severely marginalised. I hope that women farmers will be given greater consideration and that more projects for women in rural areas will be implemented.’
