COUNTRY

Agriculture as a Path to Peace, Stability, and Opportunity in Colombia

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:00:38 GMT

By Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera:Piendamo, Cauca, Colombia

When the boy asked me to work in a cocaine lab, I knew we had a problem.

He was a bright student, genuinely interested in science and always asking questions. I was his chemistry teacher. That’s one of my jobs, in addition to working on a family farm here in Colombia.

I thought I was doing well with him and that he was learning. One day after class, however, he came up to me. “Since you know chemistry, would you help me work in a cocaine lab?” he asked. “I can introduce you to the bosses. They pay very well.”

He went on to tell me that another teacher who worked in a cocaine lab had made enough money to buy a new car.

I was shocked.I did not respond—and in that moment, I was struck by the monumental challenges that rural youth face in Colombia. How much potential are we losing because young people are choosing this option?

Maybe my student’s question shouldn’t have surprised me. Every Colombian knows that the cultivation of coca plants is a major sector of our country’s agriculture. And every farmer probably has wondered about taking it up.

This dilemma lately has received attention from the international press, as Howard Buffett, the son of the famous investor Warren Buffett, has invested millions trying to persuade Colombian farmers to switch from coca plants to legal crops. I’m doing my part in a smaller way with ELOJA , a group that I founded to mentor young people in entrepreneurship, connect them with financing opportunities, and help them turn ideas into businesses.

This is the way to a brighter future—and it can begin on a farm like mine.

I grow flowers and coffee near Peindamo, a small city in the department of Cauca. My grandparents were coffee farmers. My father continued it and added flower production more than 30 years ago, and I took it up after he died because I wanted to maintain the family legacy as well as help it grow. Our flower production once covered four hectares, but during the pandemic it shrank to a single hectare. My goal is to rebuild, expand, and innovate—and to do it in a way that brings hope to young people.

I have friends whose families raise coca, and some of them used the proceeds to finance their university educations. Others have paid off debts. Many farmers grow the crop because they’re poor and it provides a fast and steady income. They’re willing to risk conflict with the military, police, and armed gangs.

I avoided that path because I want no part of the violence, extortion payments known as “vacunas,” and the other illegal activities that surround it. I respect the difficult decisions that other farmers make, but for me, agriculture is a path to peace, stability, and opportunity.

My plan is to build something sustainable for my family and community without putting anyone in danger. My academic background plays a part, allowing me to understand and apply information gained from scientific articles and publications to improve my farm.

We once had a problem with transplanting sunflower seedlings during germination. Research showed me which inputs to use and in what quantities, and soon we were growing better flowers than ever before. I’ve also used my knowledge of chemistry to calculate nutrient solutions and define the proper timing for irrigation and fertilization. This improved crop quality and lowered production costs.

Chemistry allows me to go beyond traditional methods of agriculture that often remain stuck in the past and to become a dynamic farmer who tries new ideas and tools.

This is the future I want to help create—one in which young people see hope and opportunity. Where agriculture is profitable and dignified. Instead of coca, I imagine diversified and profitable crops, with export possibilities.I see more agro-industries transforming what we grow into high-value products – chocolate, essential oils, natural dyes – so that families can earn more per hectare.

The future is possible.It will take collaboration, patience and courage. With the support of government to invest in infrastructure and security; private companies who can provide technology and can purchase from small farmers; and international partners to provide training and funding, we can help farmers quit the drug trade for good.

My goal is to ensure that the next student who loves chemistry sees a future in science and entrepreneurship – not the illegal drug trade.

Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera is a 3^rd generation farmer and social entrepreneur, managing small family farm raising sunflowers, chrysanthemums for oils and fiber, pepper. lettuce, cucumber, and coffee.Active in youth leadership, he leads the “The Agricultural Youth Observatory (ELOJA), and the Rural Incubator; Building Peace. Johan Sebastian is a member of the Global Farmer Network www.globalfarmernetwork.org

Restoring the Land Sustainably: A Brazil Success Story

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:31:04 GMT

By Abilio Rodrigues Pacheco: Cachoeira Dourada, Goias State, Brazil

More than half of the world’s rangeland is damaged and one-sixth of humanity’s food supply is in danger, according to a new report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification .

The sources of the threat include everything from climate change to mismanagement.

The problem is most severe in Asia, but it’s a global dilemma—and I’ve seen it up close here in Brazil, where degraded pastures have become a major problem.

The good news is that farmers like me are fighting back. We’re reclaiming much of the land that we nearly lost and we’re protecting it through innovation – making the land produce more but with the guarantee that the land continues to be productive for future generations.

Ideas can come from anywhere—and the best idea I’ve had for my farm came from browsing through the books in our branch library. To my surprise and delight, I came across a book that has made me a better farmer here in rural Brazil.

It described an agricultural production system known as ICLF, which combines the key words integrated, crop, livestock, forestry. It brings them all together in a method that allows us to grow more food on less land. We do it in a sustainable way so that the land will remain productive for generations to come.

ICLF has been comprehensively proven as a system of sustainable agricultural systems by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation , which is better known by its acronym in Portuguese: EMBRAPA . Affiliated with Brazil’s ministry of agriculture, it strives to improve food production through technology and innovation. In addition to running my farm in the state of Goias in central Brazil, I’ve worked as a researcher for EMBRAPA.

When I learned about ICLF about a dozen years ago and began to study it, the first thing that impressed me was the science behind it. Since its founding in 1973, EMBRAPA had devoted itself to finding ways for farmers like me to boost our production. Through a long process of research focused on an integrated production system, it developed ICLF, which seemed perfectly suited to my small operation—and so I tried it.

Simply put, ICLF allows me to grow crops, raise livestock, and engage in forestry all at once. Each activity in fact improves the others as they work in harmony through intercropping, succession, and rotation. We work in six-year cycles, and I’m now embarking on my second cycle with ICLF. (I’ve explained some of how this works in a video .)

The results are outstanding. The sum is greater than the parts: My crops, cattle, and trees produce more: grain from my corn and soybeans, protein from my animals, and wood from my trunks and branches.

This is essential because every demographic projection shows that with rising numbers of people as well as better living standards, the world is going to need a lot more food. Each hectare will have to generate new levels of food and fiber. To achieve this, farmers like me must rely on advances in science and technology—and also management systems such as ICLF.

It is important to know that ICLF is about more than production. It’s also about rejuvenation and sustainability. It helps us repair land that has lost its productive capacity, due to factors such as weak soil, mishandling crops, and poor herd management. Like a medical treatment that cures a sick person, ICLF restores these fields. It then keeps them healthy, so that they don’t deteriorate again.

My own farm has not suffered from degradation, but I’ve seen what ICLF can do for the farms that face these challenges. So have others. In 2005, less than 2 million hectares in Brazil were managed with ICLF, according to the ICLF Network . By 2021, the figure had enlarged to 17 million hectares, according to EMBRAPA , and it could go as high as 48 million in the future.

Even the animals approve: The rows of trees that now line our fields give them shade.

There’s no single solution to the rangeland degradation that worries the UN. The problems of Mongolia are vastly different from those of the Sahel region of Africa—and they’re nothing like what we face here in Brazil. Everything requires a local response.

In my country, though, we see the way forward with ICLF.

Abilio Rodrigues Pacheco is a farmer and forestry researcher in the state of Goias, in the center of Brazil, growing soya, corn, cattle and wood utilizing the Integrated Crop, Livestock and Forestry System. Abilio is a member of the Global Farmer Network. www.globalfarmernetwork.org

How to Manage Your Operation in Times of Turmoil

Mon, 02 May 2022 13:26:55 GMT

Four ways to keep your eye on the profit prize

A pandemic, war on the other side of the world or roller coaster prices spawned by such black swan events can paralyze decision makers. What should you do? Go back to basics, and focus on what really matters.

“It’s all too easy to get caught up trying to outguess the market,” says David Widmar, economist at Agriculture Economic Insights. “That focus puts more of your results in the ‘luck’ basket rather than your decision basket.”

Instead, follow these steps:

1. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Average costs are less representative than ever, and differences in the budgets for neighbors can vary greatly. One example: When and at what price you lock in fertilizer.

“When we talk about knowing your numbers, we mean understanding your financial statements, but also understanding your cost per acre,” says Matt Erickson, agriculture economic and policy adviser at Farm Credit Services of America. “Six months has made a huge difference. We are experiencing general inflation not seen since 1982. U.S. gasoline recently averaged $4.23 per gallon compared with $2.87 a year ago. Last fall, we saw fertilizer and supply chain issues. Corn break-even prices were $4 to $5 per bushel at the margin. Today, the second consecutive drought in South America is a fact and lost Russian and Ukrainian grain exports have removed a substantial portion of world supplies.”

2. RECOGNIZE BOTH RISK AND REWARD

“In the current environment, the range of possible outcomes is much wider than last fall when we started working on 2022 budgets,” Widmar adds. “It is exciting to focus on the upside sales price potential. But from these, in some cases, historic levels, there also is downside risk.”

As an example, he recalls it was just spring of 2020 when oil prices were negative and even in August 2020, the market was worried about oil falling below $3.

In this environment, Widmar advises considering many production scenarios in your budget to understand your possible outcomes.

“With crop insurance levels of $5.90 for corn and a record $14.33 for soybeans, you may be covering a higher percent of production expenses, but the dollars involved are higher. So your table stakes are bigger,” he says.

“After setting strong price floors [with crop insurance], look at market opportunities,” Erickson adds. When the market offers profits, take advantage of the opportunity.

3. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

Understand what you are good at, Erickson adds. Use the resources around you. For instance, work with your financial adviser for personalized input and analysis. Or, if you can’t keep perspective in the markets, consult a marketing adviser.

4. REMAIN STRATEGIC

“Focus on your longer-term goals. If a decision helps you reach those goals, it is a good decision,” Widmar says. “Don’t chase an opportunity just because it is ‘a good deal.’ Size it up carefully and be fully aware of your exposure. Buying equipment or land means added costs for multiple years. Does it help you reach your goals, and will it be sustainable when commodity prices recede?”

Watch the yield curve, Erickson adds (see chart). The spread between two-year and 10-year treasuries has narrowed again, which can be an early sign of recession.

With a rising interest rate environment, there could still be a window of opportunity to lock in intermediate and long-term debt while there’s a flatter yield curve. You might consider maintaining higher liquidity to absorb market risk and prepare for opportunities that present themselves, he says.

In The Shop: Things You Should Never Throw Away

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:16:56 GMT

Hoarding is unacceptable behavior in a dealership shop. If each mechanic saves left over parts and salvaged treasures, before long the the shop and grounds look like a salvage yard. So the general rule is, if you won’t use it in 30 days, don’t keep it. But every mechanic has an illicit stash of salvaged treasures hidden somewhere in his toolbox, tool cabinet or under his work bench. My stash of “gotta keep” stuff includes:

-the screw-in plastic caps that come in the ports on hydraulic cylinders and valves. I’ve got a coffee can full of various sizes and designs. Very handy when capping off hydraulic lines to keep dirt out during repairs.

-hose clamps. A hose clamp has to be pretty well destroyed and unsalvageable before I’ll let it escape into a trash barrel.

-hydraulic fittings, include flat-face, flare and o-ring. I never junk a valve block, hydraulic cylinder or hydraulic line without scavenging every fitting. My collection of used hydraulic fittings resides in a cut-off 5-gallon bucket that’s got 3 inches of oil collected in the bottom, along with a hundred or more fittings of every size and design. I keep draining the oil, but every junk fitting I toss in there seems to add a couple ounces of oil.

-chunks of pipe, from 2" i.d. up to 5" i.d. I cut them off in lengths from 2" to 12", and use them for seal and bearing drivers.

-Empty 5-gallon buckets. Even though our mechanics use a bulk oil system, we still end up emptying about ten, 5-gallon oil buckets a week. The rule is, each of us is only supposed to keep 2 or 3 empty buckets around for draining oil, but I’ll be darned if I can bring myself to throw away perfectly good 5 gallon buckets. Especially after I saw empty 5 gallon buckets being sold at box stores to city folks for $3.50 each.

In The Shop: When to Buy a Tool

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 20:22:35 GMT

Buying tools is a love/hate thing for me. I like having tools, but REALLY have trouble spending money on tools. For years I’ve had a policy that if I have to borrow a tool from a co-worker more than three times, it’s time to buy that tool. Lately, I’ve reached the point where needing a tool only one time often justifies buying it. I’ve learned that if I need it once, I’ll probably need it again in the future. So I buy it, as long as the price doesn’t involve more than three digits.

My customers are in a different situation. I’m not sure what I’d do if I was working on only my own equipment. I’ve seen farmers who have tool supplies on par with any professional mechanic, and I’ve seen farmers who’s entire tool inventory was composed of three hammers and a Crescent wrench. I suppose it comes down to whether or not you enjoy working on things. If you get satisfaction out of maintaining and repairing things, then you’ll enjoy owning tools, especially specialty tools. But if you begrudge any time spent with a wrench in your hand, you’ll resent any tool beyond what’s necessary to do an oil change in a tractor.

This whole debate about buying tools was renewed in my mind when I recently moved to a different shop building at the dealership. The move unearthed a lot of tools I forgot I had. Do I regret spending money on tools I used only once or twice before I forgot I owned them? A little. But it’s better to have a tool and rarely use it than to need a tool and not have it.