The Paths of Excellence

Colombia - 06 Dec 12

The preliminary findings of a study into quality food production and small-scale farming in Colombia will be presented tomorrow, raising discussion about the current and potential role of this approach to agriculture for food security, poverty reduction and regional development. Successful experiences of small-scale agro-food production in Bogotá, Nariño y Boyacá will also be presented, along with examples of models to improve direct market access, such as farmers’ markets.

The study will be presented during the workshop, “The Paths of Excellence: Quality Local Products, an Opportunity for Territories”, part of the “The Paths of Excellence” project run by Slow Food in collaboration with the Rural Territorial Development with Cultural Identity Program (DTR-IC) of RIMISP, the Latin American Centre for Rural Development with support from the Ford Foundation.

The project supports innovative approaches to promote bio-cultural diversity – in particular, local food heritage – and to foster exchange of ideas, good practices and local knowledge. The selected initiatives contribute to improve food security and sovereignty and better market access for entrepreneurial activities that focus on quality goods and services that have a strong local identity.

More than 50 participants will attend the two-session event, including representatives of the university, local food communities, the Terra Madre cooks’ network, local institutions and public and private organizations such as Oxfam Colombia and ACUA - the Foundation for the Cultural Activities of Afro Descendants in Latin America. Speakers include Lia Poggio from Slow Food; Claudia Ranaboldo, DTR-IC program coordinator; and Ana Maria Ibañez from the Universidad de los Andes.

The country’s extraordinary food biodiversity will be displayed in a “farm-to-table” buffet prepared by the Terra Madre chefs.


The workshop is taking place on Friday December 7, at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. It is organized by Slow Food, the Rural DTR-IC program and the University de los Andes.

For more information, please view the flyer here (in Spanish).