HEALTHY AGRICULTURE (Agricultura saludable®) Agricultural conversion to alleviate hunger and poverty 1

Abstract

Healthy agriculture: Agricultural conversion to alleviate hunger and poverty, is a concept, a Program and a brand, that Corporacion Biotec and a group of institutions, companies and associations of producers are developing in Colombia, promoting a new culture of social, environmental and market competitiveness, in the production of food, mainly tropical fruits productive chains. Some world wide challenges, ask for biomass as raw material for different sectors: food security, energy supply and security, environmental sustainability, technology change, poverty and social inequity, which give agriculture a new position in economy and decision making. For small producers in tropical areas, this situation is both: a risk and an opportunity. The development of a concept, a program and a brand: Healthy agriculture (Agricultura saludable ®), to help food production competitiveness, offers, more than a debate, a movilisation of efforts to contribute to the hunger and poverty alleviation, giving an innovative use of science and technology within rural communities linked to urban consumers desiring natural, rich and original products from the tropical production. The concept is supported by three characteristics: 1) agricultural production contributing to food security and its productive chains, 2) high value added generation, going through an specialized production chain (gastronomy industry, processing, nutraceutics and cosmeceutics ), and 3) environment friendly production. This newly promoted production culture, contributes to develop "production for a better living" within and outside the communities of producers.