Agroecology as social movement and practice in Cabrera’s peasant reserve zone, Colombia

The Peasant Reserve Zones or Zonas de Reserva Campesina (ZRC) are a legal tool for territorial ordering, created in 1994 in Colombia, to guarantee campesino access to land and to stop agribusiness land concentration. Agroecology for sustainable production is one of the key proposals from social movements in these zones, however, its transference into practice remains limited, due to the deep-rooted influence of the green revolution. This article analyses the relationship between productive practice and agroecology proposals in Cabrera’s ZRC, which is located in the Andean region of Colombia. This zone is one of seven ZRCs created so far in the country. The study uses key documents, data from focus groups and in-depth questionnaires from 55 farms. The data reveals that due to a prevailing campesino productive rationale, the ZRC provides favorable conditions under which to develop agroecology as practice, as they both share many similar principles such as those found in diversified agriculture. Furthermore, Cabrera’s ZRC has a strong legal and organizational trajectory, capable of advancing agroecology as a social movement, which could in turn facilitate the defense of economic, social and cultural rights.