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PRESS ROOM
Calendar 6/7/2024

MinAgricultura and UPRA Declare Colombias First Food Production Protection Area (APPA) in La Guajira

MinAgricultura and UPRA Declare Colombias First Food Production Protection Area (APPA) in La Guajira

Eight municipalities in southern La Guajira will have over 79,000 hectares of fertile land dedicated solely to food production.​

 

This initiative aims to safeguard the food security of the communities inhabiting this Caribbean region.

San Juan del Cesar (La Guajira), (@MinAgricultura- @UPRAColombia). Over the course of a year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the Rural and Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA), worked together to identify and declare the first Food Production Protection Areas (APPA) in eight municipalities in southern La Guajira. This initiative has now become a reality, encompassing a total of 79,961 hectares exclusively for agricultural use. 

Minister Jhenifer M​ojica stated, "Today we are witnessing the realization of a dream we had as a country, and you have demonstrated the power of collective action, respecting community needs." 

The agricultural minister emphasized, "You are the example of grassroots and rural communities. This agrarian reform is not a whim of President Gustavo Petro but a collective decision. We wouldn't be protecting these 80,000 hectares of agricultural land if it weren't for your mobilization and demands." 

The 79,961 hectares declared as APPA in La Guajira are distributed across the rural areas of eight municipalities as follows: 

  • San Juan del Cesar: 15,846 ha 

  • Fonseca: 10,519 ha 

  • Distracción: 3,828 ha 

  • El Molino: 9,535 ha 

  • La Jagua del Pilar: 10,571 ha 

  • Villanueva: 14,488 ha 

  • Urumita: 10,238 ha 

  • Barrancas: 4,933 ha

 Claudia Cortés, director of UPRA, outlined the criteria used to declare the APPA: 
 

  • Within the national agricultural frontier.
  • High soil suitability for food production prioritized by the Intersectoral Food and Nutrition Commission (CISAN1) and other locally customary foods.
  • Belonging to agricultural classes 1, 2, and 3.
  • Predominantly family, community, and market-linked farming.
  • Aligned with productive and social territorial planning instruments (such as Peasant Reserve Zones), land improvement districts, and exclusive fishing zones, among others. 

Future Plans for APPA Declaration 

For 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and UPRA have various initiatives to identify additional APPAs across Colombia in departments such as Antioquia, Córdoba, Santander, Cundinamarca, Tolima, and Cauca. ​