Research Articles Emissions Reduction in the Colombian Amazon: The Case of Caquetá
The Colombian Amazon region is a territory with unique challenges, especially in the context of climate change. The department of Caquetá has been the subject of research conducted by the Low Emissions Food Systems team of the Alliance, who analyzed the main sources of emissions in the livestock and cacao production chains, two vital products for the local and national economy.
Colombia has been a pioneer in adopting ambitious policies that seek to meet its climate commitments, such as a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. These goals are especially relevant in regions such as Caquetá, the region with the third-highest greenhouse gas emissions.
Livestock and cacao are important value chains in this region of the Amazon, not only because of their economic value, but also because of their capacity to contribute to rural development and peace building in areas affected by years of conflict. The study in Caquetá revealed which stages of these production chains generate the most emissions.
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Colombia's commitment to reducing emissions in the agricultural sector is supported by national policies that promote sustainability and resilience to climate change. However, according to Diana Gutiérrez, Senior Research Associate at the Alliance and author of the study “for these policies to be effective, it is necessary to have systems in place to ensure transparency and consistency of information, which in turn facilitates informed decision-making in agricultural and climate policy”.
Progress in understanding the sources of emissions in Caquetá's production chains benefits local communities and contributes to global efforts to mitigate climate change, positioning Colombia as a leader in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and in the fight against climate change.
This document was produced thanks to the support of the CGIAR initiatives, AgriLAC Resiliente and Mitigate+: Research for Low Emissions Food Systems, and the project 18_III_106_COL_A_Sustainable Production Strategies, "Implementation of Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock Systems for Simultaneous Targeting of Forest Conservation for Climate Change Mitigation (REDD+) and Peace Building in Colombia", which is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
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