The benefiting municipalities are San Juan del Cesar, El Molino, Villanueva, Urumita, La Jagua del Pilar, Fonseca, Distracción, Hatonuevo, and Barrancas. 
 

Previously, socializations were held with the community, producers, guilds, mayors, among other territorial actors. 

​​Bogotá D. C., (@UPRAColombia, @claudialili76). In the first week of April, the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA) will present the results of the identification of Areas of Protection for Food Production (APPA) in nine municipalities in southern La Guajira. This work will enable communities to protect and prevent the loss of rural soils and ensure the human right to adequate food. 

Since 2023, UPRA has been working in the municipalities of San Juan del Cesar, El Molino, Villanueva, Urumita, La Jagua del Pilar, Fonseca, Distracción, Hatonuevo, and Barrancas, compiling information and detailing each of the criteria that allow the identification of APPAs. 

The entity held meetings last year and during 2024 to present the progress of the identification of APPAs to the community, producers, guilds, mayors, and other territorial actors, in order to make this process participatory. 

The presentation of the results, expected to take place in the first week of April this year, will be held again in each of the municipalities with the community, local authorities, and other actors who wish to participate. 

After the identification of APPAs in La Guajira, the Ministry of Agriculture will declare the APPAs, and the aim is that, in addition to protecting these areas, a series of supports will come for the agricultural sector to enhance these territories. 

What are APPAs? ​

APPAs are areas of rural land that have conditions for food production. They are a priority for the State and must be protected, as this significantly contributes to fulfilling the human right to adequate food. 

​The purpose is to protect and prevent the loss of land for food production, promote efficient use of rural agricultural land and water resources, and promote rural development to guarantee the human right to adequate food. ​

Criteria for declaring APPAs: ​​

• Be within the national agricultural frontier. 

• Have high suitability in the soil for the production of food prioritized by CISAN and other foods specific to local customs and culture. 

• Belong to the agrological classes for agricultural production 1, 2, and 3. 

• Have a predominance of peasant, family, and community agriculture (PFCA) linked to the market. 

• Incorporate instruments of productive and social organization with a territorial approach (e.g., peasant reserve zones (ZRC), land adaptation districts (DAT), and exclusive fishing zones (ZEMP), among others). 

Route to declare an APPA: 

• Identify Areas of Protection for Food Production. 

• Delimit the Agricultural Frontier for food production. 

• Compile information on the specific situations of each territory. 

• Coordinate for management, socialize for appropriation, and disseminate for transparency. 

• Process the information for the identification of APPAs. 

• Declare the APPAs by MADR.