Carimagua and agrofuels

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A pine plantation in Carimagua (Meta Department, Colombia), 2005

I attended the relevant presentation of the book: “Agrofuels filling tanks, emptying territories” (Agrocombustibles: Llenando tanques, Vaciando territorios) embodied in the campaign of the same name spearheaded by Censat - Agua Viva and the Process of Black Communities (PCN). This book (which I strongly recommend to read if you want to approach from several perspectives to this particular subject), discusses the striking environmental impact and the conflicts generated by the invasion of "agro-business", which are leading mega-projects of mono-crops farming for the production of fuels in Colombia.

The bold proposal embodied in the article written by Hildebrando and Irene Vélez about the construction of a Movement of Victims of Climate Change has called my attention. They dared to propose and basically launch the concept “agrofuels” to replace the fallacious word "biofuels", cited as the spearhead of an alleged salvation strategy toward climate change and the reduction of Greenhouse gases (GHGs) when it’s well known that the word “biofuels” make reference to the perpetuation of unsustainable practises that have shaped the global environmental crisis of nowadays.

One of the most interesting articles in the book was written in 2007 by Professor Mario Mejía Gutiérrez. He makes general considerations about the sustainability of monocultures in agricultural megaprojects like the African palm (Elaeis guineensis) and rubber (Hevea gender) located in different geographical regions of Colombia, especially at Colombia’s Orinoquia.

In the article, he predicted what might happen with the Carimagua, Meta’s lands, before knowing the whole history of these days. His words will help us to contextualize better the real value of that place. Professor Mejía says:

"The experimental station Carimagua is now abandoned and expecting an offer of some mega project of 17 thousand hectares by the Ministry of Agriculture. Once exclusive vision of CIAT toward the use of the land in the Colombian flat plains (El Llano) only for the bovine cattle has lagged behind and instead they are now proposing the mega farm. Change of era. It took 40 years of international scientific bureaucracy to change their opinion about the savanna. It is the turn of the World Bank (CIAT is their representative body in Colombia) to promote agrofuels, according to the interests of the empire."

I visited the Carimagua area a few years ago and I know part of its history. Really it is a poor and acid soil, but has an enormous potential for agro-forestry, pastures and if these territories are given the appropriate agricultural an ecological management, even for plane agriculture. It is also an area where the Colombian armed conflict is present, due to its strategic location, where historically the guerrillas have had strongholds and more recently paramilitary groups. In fact, at the entrance to Carimagua an Army battalion has been placed.

The Colombian Orinoquia and the Carimagua’s context

You don’t have to be a genius to know the true intentions of the Colombian government (in the lead of the Ministry of Agriculture) has with the Carimagua lands. Its absurd announcement to deliver a concession of these lands which originally were delivered to victims of forced displacement (ill-named desplazados) created controversy. It was the reason why Attorney General’s Office and the independent judiciary system raised the alarms and led the government to reverse its decision (for now).

In order to understand the dimensions and features of Colombian savannas, I would like to share with some information about what is really at stake here.

The Colombian Orinoquia (Orinoco River basin), better known as the eastern flat plains or Llanos Orientales, is a vast region which has approximately 17 million hectares (25% of the national territory). Geographically, the savannas belong to the Orinoco River basin. Authors like Ripstein and others (2001) suggest that the region contains three systems of land or landscapes: foothills, floodplains and savannas well drained or not flooded known as altillanuras. I want readers to pay attention to this classification.

Carimagua’s territories are part of the “altillanura” landscape. The Colombian Orinoquia has its flooded savannas located the north margin of the river Meta and the not flooded savanna (altillanura) are on the opposed margin. This has given the characteristics and the use of the land in each margin of the river.

The Colombian altillanura (which corresponds to 53% of the Colombian Orinoquia) had originated in a co-evolution with the fire, climate and the action of the insects like termites and ants (usually insects eating vegetable matter). These lands are used for extensive cattle production. Only 10% of this type of plain or savanna is covered by riparian forests locally known like matas de monte and morichales (for the presence of moriche palm). However these places have been subjected to agricultural pressure by the slash and burn method called conuco (Mejia-Gutierrez, 2006).

Despite this the colonization and ownership of the land in this region, there hasn’t been far from the methods of agro-business associated with mono-crops (first with methods of the green revolution, now with genetically modified organisms -gmos- crops) and already beginning to see the first ecological and social impacts. The ancestral indigenous use for agriculture of the altillanura virtually has disappeared and the farmers who have inhabited these areas (campesinos) have been victims of violent appropriation of their land, leaving these lands.

According to the maestro Mejía expertise, the palm used for the generation of bio-diesel is perfectly adapted to wet weather all year or humid climates with dry periods (hiperstationery climate). This climate conditions are present in the altillanura. The characteristic of monocrops and the soil of the place will be used for external inputs (agro-toxic or even genetic manipulation) that will impact the soil and the ecosystem relentlessly.

In addition the Orinoquia’s altillanura it currently the best choice in the country for the establishment of agrofuels megaprojects, where land is still trading at very low prices per hectare, depending on the availability of legal title and the proximity of roads, which are very poor in this region (Mejía Gutiérrez, 2008).

Finally, Carimagua is not the only case. Marandúa, Las Gaviotas (which is relatively close to Carimagua), among others (covering the production of ethanol from cassava and animal source) would join the production of agrofuels in Colombia focused in the controversial African palm crops. Las Gaviotas, like Carimagua, have been experimental centres (COEs) in agriculture where forest plantations experiments, among others, had been developed.

The discussion

The real point of discussion, and we agree with several people (including Mario Mejía Gutiérrez), is not whether the land is productive or not or suitable for farming or livestock. The discussion focuses in who appropriates the lands and how to proceed on this process, which we have already seen their modus operandi in other regions of Colombia as the Chocó and the North Coast of Colombia. These last cases are review in the CENSAT - Agua Viva and the Process of Black Communities (PCN) book. 

The worst thing about all is that there proved alternatives for sufficiency and production in the altillanura from agricultural, forestry and forestry-grazing models. Here the first excuse that Carimagua land are poor and not suitable for sustainable agricultural production exposed by the Colombian’s Ministry of Agriculture, falls by its own weight. Further studies of CIAT generated a lot of information from this place we can start to generate new alternatives.

The national government should be more concerned with support the generation of alternative premises and endogenous production with agroecological principles alongside with the scientific academy, rather than perpetuate an unsustainable agro-business model which is a predator with the ecosystems, farmers and the most vulnerable rural people. We must first ensure food and livelihood of the people that fill the coffers of the powerful and tanks of vehicles.

The position of the government is questionable from any sense, beginning in the contradiction with its attitude of the year 2004, when it was affirming that these lands would be for victims of the forced displacement. In spite of the brake put of the Carimagua case, Minister Andrés Felipe Árias, the Government and interested parties will not act deceitfully. In the bottom they do not move of their intransigent position, since big and juicy economic interests are at stake. Of all forms this topic has a more wide scope, which would be very interesting to discuss and to construct. The space remains opened for the discussion.

See you!

Comments by Brigitte Baptiste, teacher and researcher from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Pontifical Xavierian University) of Bogotá

Because of their knowledge and experience, both in theme and in the area (Carimagua), Brigitte (Luis Guillermo) Baptiste gives us a comment on the matter:

The recent declaration of delivery of the 17,000 hectares of Carimagua to palm entrepreneurs and other corporate sectors, with the excuse that the initial plan to delivery to displaced was not feasible for reasons of economic viability, unleashed a fair storm associated more with the disregard message that the central government sends to the issue of social justice than other reasons. However, the debate must go beyond and to highlight the lack of minimum criteria for the so-called ruling class to define an alternative land use for the common good.

Carimagua was for many years a research centre dedicated to livestock pasture production for the development of the predominant livestock farming in the region, which focused all expectations productive of the Llanos. When the centre stopped receiving resources from international cooperation, it fell into disgrace, and the valuable infrastructure was abandoned, despite nominally handling fell on Corpoica [Colombian Corporation for Farming Research]. The research projects, some advanced as cashew nut crops, mango or forestry crops, were closed one by one, until the only sustaining alternative was the rental of the facilities to oil exploration companies and the rental or sale of grass to individuals. Sad destination of an international centre of excellence which in the seventies (1970) had dozens of doctorates working there. In addition this centre represented an institutional and civic advance in the Colombian Orinoquia.

The truth is that promised innovation in the production systems that appropriate to the ecological conditions of the Orinoquia, not occurred. Now is the private sector that is advancing in palm proposals and biofuels, in the absence of a scientific community that could suggest an agroecological regional alternative handling, which is able to generate equity and environmental sustainability. This is the proof that the planning exercise is useless in Colombia, while the decisions are only taken on a daily trade competition and few social actors have the opportunity (fair or not) to participate in them.

Bibliographic references (in Spanish)

censat – Agua Viva & Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN). 2008. Agrocombustibles: Llenando tanques, Vaciando territorios. Varios autores. Bogotá, Colombia.

Mejía Gutiérrez, M. 2006. Agricultura y ganadería orgánicas a condiciones colombianas: Retorno de los pobres al campo. Colombia.

Ripstein, G., G. Escobar & F. Motta. 2001. Agroecología y Biodiversidad de las Sabanas en los Llanos Orientales de Colombia. CIAT, CIRAD.

This article was published 16 February 2008 on equinoXio. Translated from Spanish by Ivonne Quimbayo.

Tags: agrofuels, Andrés Felipe Árias, AUC, biofuels, Brigitte Baptiste, Carimagua, CIAT, Colombia, Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, Colombian politics, CORPOICA, displacement, FARC, Llanos, Mario Mejía Gutiérrez, Meta Department, Orinoquia, refugees, scandal, World Bank

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