Community beekeeping training center, member of the Santander Collective of Farmers’ and Community Reserves.
Colombia, Santander, Suratá
2017
Transition Areas
Fair Energetics
- Alternative energy supply
- Integration of different energy uses
Technology:
Community work began approximately 15 years ago with the mobilizations and processes of territorial defense against extractive gold mining projects in the páramo. There was training for promoters in agroecology, with the participation of women and young people linked to the Community Beekeeping Training Center, so the work in beekeeping and the relationship of this activity with the diversification of crops, is developed in an integral way.
The experience took place in the village of Cachirí, municipality of Suratá, in an area of the Santurbán páramo. This process is led by a group of young women.
Solar dehydrators allow the drying of different grains (coffee, peas, beans, corn, plantain for flour production), particularly in winter, when solar radiation is reduced; this way, heat is used efficiently and the quality of the drying process, which was previously done on plastic or in the backyard of the house, is facilitated.
In addition, greenhouses make it possible to adapt to climate change, as they are less vulnerable to phenomena such as frost, wind, sun and heavy rains; they also make it possible to produce vegetables for self-consumption in a clean way.
Technical characteristics of the proposal
In the construction of the tunnel-type solar dryer and the greenhouse-type solar collector, local resources are used, such as wood, which is extracted from the forests of the peasant reserves; their construction is supported by community mingas in which men, women, youth and children participate: in this space, the participants collaborate in solidarity in the construction of the technological proposals and also learn how to build them.
The proposal as a group of young women farmers, consists of a solar dryer tunnel type of 6 meters long and 3 meters wide which is located at 1,950 meters above sea level, which is intended for the drying of grains (corn, coffee, beans, peas, etc.) by solar radiation. The technical process for the construction of the solar dryer consists of:
- Selection of land with the following conditions (all-day sunshine, close to the main house, protected from strong winds)
- Participatory design, with construction in community minga.
- Cutting and stacking of wood.
- Site suitability (clearing of spontaneous weeds)
- Plastered and filled.
- Construction of the general structure in wood.
- Installation and tempering of the plastic.
- Installation on the walls with polyshade.
- Soil preparation for planting (construction of bench terraces on contour lines)
- Both the tunnel type dryer and the greenhouse type solar collector are economical, practical and easy to build, with community participation; for their construction it is recommended to use dry wood and to cut it when the moon is in its waning period for longer duration.
As replicas in the community, two tunnel type dryers of 10 meters long x 3 meters wide, for drying corn, coffee, peas, beans and plantains, are in the process of being built. As well as a 10-meter long x 6-meter wide greenhouse-type solar collector used for the cultivation and post-harvest processing of vegetables (tomato, cabbage, paprika, cilantro, beets) and medicinal plants (mint, marjoram, marigold, marigold).
Productive, community, environmental, or economic processes or activities that were positively impacted by the implementation of the community experience of TEJ.
After joining the Collective of Peasant and Community Reserves of Santander, crops were diversified and a series of agroecological practices were replicated as part of the community process, among which the following stand out:
- Community nurseries, stables for sheep breeding, installation of irrigation systems, planting of fodder orchards, bank terraces on contour lines, circular orchards, planting of melliferous species, and processing of cold climate fruits, in a context in which most families are dedicated to the cultivation of blackberry, from which they derive their income.
As part of the design of the experience, the agro-climatic characteristics are taken advantage of, so the families in the upper part are dedicated to the cultivation of blackberry, lulo, tree tomato, milk production and curd making, while those in the lower part grow coffee, plantain, banana, cassava, celery, peas, beans, corn and sugar cane for the production of panela.
They also work in beekeeping, which is led by women. This activity has had a great impact on the transformation of relations with the territory, for which the application of agrochemicals has been reduced and melliferous species that feed the bees are being planted, the sale of honey has improved the economy and allowed the income of resources throughout the year.
In addition, the families are being trained in wax lamination, the construction of crates and frames, in the installation of hikes, harvesting, honey packaging, and the capture of swarms (which are generally burned by the farmers and rescued by the women).
The processing of fruits such as (blackberry, lulo, tree tomato) is also done; men and young people have been involved in this activity, which demonstrates a cultural change in traditional roles and a reflection on forms of machismo that were very present in the rural area of Santander. Fruit processing means a contribution to the family economy: when fruits are left over, they are processed and transformed into pulp, jams or wines, which are then marketed.
Beneficiaries of the experience
15 families composed of 18 men, 20 women, 12 adolescents (between 13 and 18 years of age), 6 boys and girls (between 0 and 12 years of age)
Achievements and problems encountered during implementation
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Participation of women’s and youth groups in the community process, around issues such as alternative energies, beekeeping, territorial defense and biodiversity monitoring.
- Strengthening of the social and community fabric in a territory with a history of violence and state neglect that has been exacerbated by threats from large-scale mining.
- Innovation in adaptation and resilience practices in the face of climate change (frosts, winds and heavy rains), when growing food for self-consumption and taking advantage of solar energy for grain drying; previously, during rainy periods, this process was difficult.
- Alternative economies of their own for women, represented in the processing of cold climate fruits and beekeeping, and the promotion of farmers’ markets and the rural-urban dialogue process.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- The distances between the homes of the organization’s families; this situation has been addressed by means of itinerant activities among the families, such as mingas.
- Communication deficiency (cell phone coverage in the area).
- Marginalized conditions as a result of state abandonment and violence.
- Through workshops on alternative energies, planting mingas, food processing, spaces for collective social strengthening have been built.
Women’s participation in the TEJ community experience
Women play a very important role in the community process, as they are the driving force behind the work, are responsible for convening, leading the mingas for fruit processing, participating in the construction of the replicas, carrying out agro-ecological practices and leading beekeeping. Their work is harmonious, the exchange of knowledge is a priority, and there is intergenerational integration between men and women.
They promote the management of resources through bazaars, community meetings that they use to make the organization’s actions visible. These spaces count on the participation of children, who had been apathetic to these spaces.
Women work to enable the permanence of communities in the territory, for this they seek to reduce gender inequality, through 3 aspects: (i) access to land for women through agro-ecological crops (ii) promotion of the participation of girls and young women in training courses (iii) visibility of the achievements of culturally rooted women who have developed their own alternative economies.
Impact of the community experience of TEJ on public policy
Through citizen mobilization, the Mayor’s Office of Bucaramanga gave its support to the communities that demanded the defense of water and the protection of the Santurbán páramo, in the face of threats from large-scale mining.
This type of action reduces the rural-urban gap and weaves other relationships on the interdependence with nature that demands a more conscious society that recognizes the importance of the defense of water, territory and the importance of environmental sovereignty and the peasant economy.