World coffee markets and national coffee parastatals since 1989: a comparative study of Colombia and Cote D'ivoire

The International Coffee Agreements (ICA) involved the majority of nations producing and consuming coffee and provided relative economic stability to the coffee sectors of the exporting Third World countries. This study focuses on the serious impact of the 1989 collapse of the ICA on the domestic coffee sectors of Colombia and Cote d'Ivoire. In particular, the dissertation examines the role of the Colombian and Ivoirian coffee parastatals, the Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia and the Caisse de Stabilisation et Soutien des Prix des Produits Agricoles, during the crisis and their transformation by it. The theoretical framework employed in this study is borrowed from the literature on state-society relations. The methodology includes: in-depth analysis of the historical roles of the parastatal agencies in coffee production, state-society relations and economic development in Colombia and Côte d'Ivoire; interviews with parastatal administrators, producers and other knowledgeable informants in both countries; and a comprehensive review of newspaper articles and official statements of coffee policy published in Colombia and Côte d'Ivoire prior to, during, and after the crisis. The Colombian and Ivoirian coffee sectors and their producers faced serious economic and social problems following the drop in coffee prices. The coffee parastatals in Colombia and Côte d'Ivoire first lost some of their responsibilities following the world coffee crisis. The Caisse was in the end eliminated while FEDECAFE struggled to remain in existence. Along the way, both entities faced protests from disgruntled coffee producers, who organized politically for the first time in their nations' histories. I argue that the outcome for the parastatals depended in part on the conditions of their formation, particularly the level of societal involvement in their creation. I also posit that the country's dependence on foreign aid played a key role in the fate of the parastatals. This dissertation concludes that developments in the Colombian and Ivoirian coffee sectors have significantly contributed to the creation of the difficult political and economic conditions of both countries today.

Using Bird Distributions to Assess Extinction Risk and Identify Conservation Priorities in Biodiversity Hotspots

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation threaten the World’s ecosystems and species. These, and other threats, will likely be exacerbated by climate change. Due to a limited budget for conservation, we are forced to prioritize a few areas over others. These places are selected based on their uniqueness and vulnerability. One of the most famous examples is the biodiversity hotspots: areas where large quantities of endemic species meet alarming rates of habitat loss. Most of these places are in the tropics, where species have smaller ranges, diversity is higher, and ecosystems are most threatened.

Species distributions are useful to understand ecological theory and evaluate extinction risk. Small-ranged species, or those endemic to one place, are more vulnerable to extinction than widely distributed species. However, current range maps often overestimate the distribution of species, including areas that are not within the suitable elevation or habitat for a species. Consequently, assessment of extinction risk using these maps could underestimate vulnerability.

In order to be effective in our quest to conserve the World’s most important places we must: 1) Translate global and national priorities into practical local actions, 2) Find synergies between biodiversity conservation and human welfare, 3) Evaluate the different dimensions of threats, in order to design effective conservation measures and prepare for future threats, and 4) Improve the methods used to evaluate species’ extinction risk and prioritize areas for conservation. The purpose of this dissertation is to address these points in Colombia and other global biodiversity hotspots.

In Chapter 2, I identified the global, strategic conservation priorities and then downscaled to practical local actions within the selected priorities in Colombia. I used existing range maps of 171 bird species to identify priority conservation areas that would protect the greatest number of species at risk in Colombia (endemic and small-ranged species). The Western Andes had the highest concentrations of such species—100 in total—but the lowest densities of national parks. I then adjusted the priorities for this region by refining these species ranges by selecting only areas of suitable elevation and remaining habitat. The estimated ranges of these species shrank by 18–100% after accounting for habitat and suitable elevation. Setting conservation priorities on the basis of currently available range maps excluded priority areas in the Western Andes and, by extension, likely elsewhere and for other taxa. By incorporating detailed maps of remaining natural habitats, I made practical recommendations for conservation actions. One recommendation was to restore forest connections to a patch of cloud forest about to become isolated from the main Andes.

For Chapter 3, I identified areas where bird conservation met ecosystem service protection in the Central Andes of Colombia. Inspired by the November 11th (2011) landslide event near Manizales, and the current poor results of Colombia’s Article 111 of Law 99 of 1993 as a conservation measure in this country, I set out to prioritize conservation and restoration areas where landslide prevention would complement bird conservation in the Central Andes. This area is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, but also one of the most threatened. Using the case of the Rio Blanco Reserve, near Manizales, I identified areas for conservation where endemic and small-range bird diversity was high, and where landslide risk was also high. I further prioritized restoration areas by overlapping these conservation priorities with a forest cover map. Restoring forests in bare areas of high landslide risk and important bird diversity yields benefits for both biodiversity and people. I developed a simple landslide susceptibility model using slope, forest cover, aspect, and stream proximity. Using publicly available bird range maps, refined by elevation, I mapped concentrations of endemic and small-range bird species. I identified 1.54 km2 of potential restoration areas in the Rio Blanco Reserve, and 886 km2 in the Central Andes region. By prioritizing these areas, I facilitate the application of Article 111 which requires local and regional governments to invest in land purchases for the conservation of watersheds.

Chapter 4 dealt with elevational ranges of montane birds and the impact of lowland deforestation on their ranges in the Western Andes of Colombia, an important biodiversity hotspot. Using point counts and mist-nets, I surveyed six altitudinal transects spanning 2200 to 2800m. Three transects were forested from 2200 to 2800m, and three were partially deforested with forest cover only above 2400m. I compared abundance-weighted mean elevation, minimum elevation, and elevational range width. In addition to analyzing the effect of deforestation on 134 species, I tested its impact within trophic guilds and habitat preference groups. Abundance-weighted mean and minimum elevations were not significantly different between forested and partially deforested transects. Range width was marginally different: as expected, ranges were larger in forested transects. Species in different trophic guilds and habitat preference categories showed different trends. These results suggest that deforestation may affect species’ elevational ranges, even within the forest that remains. Climate change will likely exacerbate harmful impacts of deforestation on species’ elevational distributions. Future conservation strategies need to account for this by protecting connected forest tracts across a wide range of elevations.

In Chapter 5, I refine the ranges of 726 species from six biodiversity hotspots by suitable elevation and habitat. This set of 172 bird species for the Atlantic Forest, 138 for Central America, 100 for the Western Andes of Colombia, 57 for Madagascar, 102 for Sumatra, and 157 for Southeast Asia met the criteria for range size, endemism, threat, and forest use. Of these 586 species, the Red List deems 108 to be threatened: 15 critically endangered, 29 endangered, and 64 vulnerable. When ranges are refined by elevational limits and remaining forest cover, 10 of those critically endangered species have ranges < 100km2, but then so do 2 endangered species, seven vulnerable, and eight non-threatened ones. Similarly, 4 critically endangered species, 20 endangered, and 12 vulnerable species have refined ranges < 5000km2, but so do 66 non-threatened species. A striking 89% of these species I have classified in higher threat categories have <50% of their refined ranges inside protected areas. I find that for 43% of the species I assessed, refined range sizes fall within thresholds that typically have higher threat categories than their current assignments. I recommend these species for closer inspection by those who assess risk. These assessments are not only important on a species-by-species basis, but by combining distributions of threatened species, I create maps of conservation priorities. They differ significantly from those created from unrefined ranges.

La institucionalidad rural en Colombia : Reflexiones para su análisis y fortalecimiento

La cuestión rural constituye uno de los grandes desafíos para la institucionalidad en Colombia. La discusión respecto a la eficiencia y eficacia institucional para el sector rural debe adelantarse fundamentada en aspectos coyunturales que a su vez median en la dinámica social, política, cultural, ambiental, económica y productiva en el agro colombiano, entre los cuales se incluyen los tratados comerciales y un eventual posconflicto. La nueva ruralidad, como enfoque para el desarrollo rural, plantea una visión distinta en torno a la temática: concibe lo rural como un espacio multisectorial y multidimensional, lo cual constituye el punto de partida desde el cual surgen los elementos de análisis que permiten adelantar un debate institucional amplio y participativo de cara a la transformación estructural de la realidad rural.

La institucionalidad rural en Colombia : Reflexiones para su análisis y fortalecimiento

La cuestión rural constituye uno de los grandes desafíos para la institucionalidad en Colombia. La discusión respecto a la eficiencia y eficacia institucional para el sector rural debe adelantarse fundamentada en aspectos coyunturales que a su vez median en la dinámica social, política, cultural, ambiental, económica y productiva en el agro colombiano, entre los cuales se incluyen los tratados comerciales y un eventual posconflicto. La nueva ruralidad, como enfoque para el desarrollo rural, plantea una visión distinta en torno a la temática: concibe lo rural como un espacio multisectorial y multidimensional, lo cual constituye el punto de partida desde el cual surgen los elementos de análisis que permiten adelantar un debate institucional amplio y participativo de cara a la transformación estructural de la realidad rural.

La institucionalidad rural en Colombia : Reflexiones para su análisis y fortalecimiento

La cuestión rural constituye uno de los grandes desafíos para la institucionalidad en Colombia. La discusión respecto a la eficiencia y eficacia institucional para el sector rural debe adelantarse fundamentada en aspectos coyunturales que a su vez median en la dinámica social, política, cultural, ambiental, económica y productiva en el agro colombiano, entre los cuales se incluyen los tratados comerciales y un eventual posconflicto. La nueva ruralidad, como enfoque para el desarrollo rural, plantea una visión distinta en torno a la temática: concibe lo rural como un espacio multisectorial y multidimensional, lo cual constituye el punto de partida desde el cual surgen los elementos de análisis que permiten adelantar un debate institucional amplio y participativo de cara a la transformación estructural de la realidad rural.

El género epistolar en la prensa como visión ciudadana de la esfera pública en Colombia

A partir de un análisis temático inductivo, este artículo explora la visión ciudadana sobre la esfera pública expresada en las cartas de los lectores de los diarios El Tiempo y El Heraldo de Colombia. Los resultados muestran cómo la identidad colectiva de los lectores apareció en forma transversal en las cartas, para dar cuenta de una comunidad de adultos que se autodefine como “colombianos de bien”. El análisis reveló dos unidades de significado: posturas sobre la administración de lo público y antagonismos en la esfera pública, centrada en el conflicto político con las guerrillas. A través de estas se pudieron hacer visibles los llamamientos vívidos de los lectores al gobierno, funcionarios públicos, actores al margen de la ley y a sus compatriotas, para movilizarse para exigir cambios sociales largamente esperados.

Rightful Resistance in the Colombian conflict. A theoretical reflection based on a Peace Community

This article considers the opportunities of civilians to peacefully resist violent conflicts or civil wars. The argument developed here is based on a field-based research on the peace community San José de Apartadó in Colombia. The analytical and theoretical framework, which delimits the use of the term ‘resistance’ in this article, builds on the conceptual considerations of Hollander and Einwohner (2004) and on the theoretical concept of ‘rightful resistance’ developed by O’Brien (1996). Beginning with a conflict-analytical classification of the case study, we will describe the long-term socio-historical processes and the organizational experiences of the civilian population, which favoured the emergence of this resistance initiative. The analytical approach to the dimensions and aims of the resistance of this peace community leads to the differentiation of O`Brian’s concept of ‘rightful resistance’.

Estado de los procesos de valoración ocupacional de las personas con discapacidad en Colombia: Un análisis exploratorio

Este artículo presenta un análisis del estado actual de los procesos de valoración ocupacional de las personas con discapacidad, reportado por 14 instituciones públicas y privadas dedicadas a la promoción de la inclusión laboral de esta población. El propósito fue mostrar las definiciones, procesos, instrumentos, profesionales, etapas del proceso, apoyos incluidos dentro del proceso de acompañamiento a la inclusión laboral.

Construcción de una herramienta para certificar la discapacidad en Colombia

Este artículo pretende describir el proceso de construcción de una herramienta para la certificación de la condición de discapacidad en Colombia.

Magnitud de la discapacidad en Boyacá, Colombia

El propósito del presente artículo es presentar la magnitud de la discapacidad en el Departamento de Boyacá a través del establecimiento de sus distribuciones y relaciones de dependencia.

Transformaciones de instituciones dedicadas a la atención de personas con discapacidad en Colombia 1970-2010

Este documento describe y analiza las formas en que las instituciones que han trabajado en el país con personas con discapacidad en las últimas cuatro décadas forman parte de las construcciones sociales de la discapacidad; específicamente las transformaciones a partir de la Ley 100 de 1993, que instaura la atención sanitaria como mercado y la venta de servicios como un elemento central para mantenerse dentro del mismo. dentro del mismo.

Configuración política de la categoría discapacidad en Colombia: relación Estado y ciudadanía

En este documento se presentan los hallazgos de las categorías Estado y ciudadanía derivados del estudio. Análisis histórico de la construcción política de la categoría discapacidad en Colombia con el objetivo de reconstruir la historia de los acontecimientos sociales que determinaron las transformaciones sociopolíticas de la discapacidad entre los años 1986 y 2012.

Adapting prospective structural analysis to strengthen sustainable management and capacity building in community-based natural resource management contexts

Local communities collectively managing common pool resources can play an important role in sustainable management, but they often lack the skills and context-specific tools required for such management. The complex dynamics of social-ecological systems (SES), the need for management capacities, and communities’ limited empowerment and participation skills present challenges for community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) strategies. We analyzed the applicability of prospective structural analysis (PSA), a strategic foresight tool, to support decision making and to foster sustainable management and capacity building in CBNRM contexts and the modifications necessary to use the tool in such contexts. By testing PSA in three SES in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, we gathered information regarding the potential of this tool and its adaptation requirements. The results suggest that the tool can be adapted to these contexts and contribute to fostering sustainable management and capacity building. It helped identify the systems’ dynamics, thus increasing the communities’ knowledge about their SES and informing the decision-making process. Additionally, it drove a learning process that both fostered empowerment and built participation skills. The process demanded both time and effort, and required external monitoring and facilitation, but community members could be trained to master it. Thus, we suggest that the PSA technique has the potential to strengthen CBNRM and that other initiatives could use it, but they must be aware of these requirements.

Análisis de determinantes de oferta y demanda de servicios y productos en el sector publicitario y de branding en Colombia

En Colombia nacen sin fin de empresas dedicadas a la publicidad, el mercadeo, el branding y promoción; Muchas de ellas surgen sin siquiera un estudio de mercado somero o sencillo; sino solamente basados en intuición y ganas de parte de sus líderes. En éste documento nos dedicaremos a encontrar y delimitar los aspectos y determinantes de la oferta y de la demanda de productos y servicios en el sector de la publicidad, transmedia y la marca en Colombia. A su vez se identificarán y establecerán Productos diferenciadores para Walloom SAS.

Perspectivas de los biocombustibles en Colombia

Colombia se está iniciando en bioenergía y necesita de políticas e infraestructura para la producción de biocombustibles. En los últimos años, losbiocombustibles vienen avanzando apoyados por la adopción de decretos de ley que permiten la introducción de biocombustibles, mezclados, en primera instancia, con combustibles fósiles como la gasolina y el diésel. Este artículo de “revisión de tema” presenta el comienzo y desarrollo de los biocombustibles en Colombia y la situación actual de la producción, las empresas y las entidades que lideran este proyecto, con el fin de adoptar una fuente de energía renovable y sostenible. En el análisis de este tema sobre biocombustibles en Colombia se apunta un claro comienzo a la independencia de combustibles fósiles, con la premisa de una matriz energética sostenible que asegure el crecimiento de la industria, el desarrollo social y la preservación del ambiente. Por otro lado, se observa la tendencia mundial a la adopción de biocombustibles principalmente en países dependientes del petróleo, siendo los suramericanos como Brasil, Colombia y Argentina los abanderados en estas propuestas. Colombia presenta, a su vez, recursos en este ámbito en disponibilidad de tierras, mano de obra, políticas internas de consumo y producción, que coexisten con dificultades en desigualdad social, conflictos internos, monopolios y trabas políticas que podrían impedir inversión privada y extranjera