The Associativity: a local development strategy for Ocamonte (APCO) coffee growers in Santander, Colombia

Abstract

The market liberalization policy is forcing business sectors and localities to generate strategies aimed to improving the living conditions of entrepreneurs and at the same time, being competitive. The present study exhibits the major contributions to local development, obtained from the creation associativity strategy of small coffee growers in Ocamonte (APCO), Santander-Colombia. It was observed that contributions evidenced in the dimension improvements as follows: socio-cultural, economic, environmental and policy-institutional, respectively. Given these concerns, a descriptive study with a sample of 45 associates was designed, from which in the second half of 2015, a structured survey was applied, evidencing the perceptions of the associates in relation of their achievements, evidenced associativity for more than 20 years, entering into fair trade agreements, improving their living conditions, being competitive and contributing to local development of their municipality. In fact, these results were corroborated in information obtained in interviews with members of the director board of the coffee growers association, as well as officials of the City Hall and schoolteachers in the association area of influence.Keywords: Social capital, fair trade, competitiveness, management culture, association, local development. ResumenLas políticas de liberalización de mercados están forzando a localidades y sectores empresariales, a desarrollar y gestionar acciones para mejorar sus condiciones en los diferentes aspectos y que a la vez, permitan su durabilidad y sostenibilidad. Una alternativa ante esta situación es la asociatividad, por tanto el presente estudio muestra los principales aportes al desarrollo local, logrados a partir de la creación de la asociación de pequeños caficultores de Ocamonte (APCO) en el departamento de Santander; aportes evidenciados a nivel sociocultural, económico, ambiental y político institucional. Utilizando un estudio de tipo descriptivo y una selección determinística de una muestra de 45 asociados, a quienes en el segundo semestre del año 2015 se les aplicó una encuesta estructurada, que evidenció las percepciones de los asociados, en cuanto a logros obtenidos, como permanecer asociados por más de 20 años, incursionar en acuerdos de comercio justo, mejorar sus condiciones de vida, ser competitivos, establecer alianzas y acuerdos con diferentes instituciones y por supuesto, contribuir al desarrollo local de su municipio, resultados corroborados en información obtenida en entrevistas a integrantes de junta directiva de la asociación, al igual que a funcionarios de la Alcaldía Municipal y docentes de escuelas del área de influencia de la asociación.

Performance of agri-food organizations in the Colombian Central Region supplying food to Bogotá

“…The greatest benefit generated by associativity of growers is the generation of economies of scale (Melo Torres et al, 2017). These economies enable productive efficiency, lower product costs and facilitate access to inputs, market information, and financial resources.…”

Associativity in the case of vegetable producers in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

“…They maintain that the level of trust between members, the transparency and their participation contribute to associativity, the same as they mention that democracy, honesty, equality, equity, and participation of the members are a basic complement to achievement the objectives (Barrera et al, 2016). This considers that commitment, leadership, effort, discipline, and teamwork are also judged as attributes that complement associativity and agree that attributes such as leadership, respect, transparency, and self-sufficiency do (Callejas, 2017;Melo 2017;Del Carmen and Malueños 2018). The research that sustains this study also analyzed other members who participate in associativity, since it is not just small-scale producers who participate, but also intermediaries, government, and some organizations, which somehow favor this relationship of rural associativity.…”

Componentes de la asociatividad empresarial y gobernanza en Áreas Naturales Protegidas con capacidades turísticas

“…Fuente: elaboración propia con base en (Posada et al, 2017), (Melo et al, 2017, (Estrada, 2016), (Guerrero y Villamar, 2016), (Fajardo et al, 2016), (Cogollo y Arrieta, 2014), (Dini et al, 2007), (Liendo y Martínez, 2001), (Sectur, 2001), (Poliak 2001, en Liendo y Martínez, 2001, (Rosales, 1997). los componentes resaltan la determinación de un territorio, el grado de voluntad, la confianza, el esfuerzo colectivo, la gobernanza y la capacidad de articulación.…”

“…Fuente: elaboración propia con base en(Posada et al, 2017), (Melo et al, 2017,(Estrada, 2016), (Guerrero y Villamar, 2016),(Fajardo et al, 2016),(Cogollo y Arrieta, 2014),(Dini et al, 2007),(Liendo y Martínez, 2001),(Sectur, 2001), Poliak 2001, en Liendo y Martínez (2001,(Rosales, 1997).…”