Cacao, Culture, and Sustainability: Rural Knowledge and Environmental Challenges Among Smallholder Farmers in Lebrija, Colombia

María Pierina Lucco García, Pablo Andrés Pérez Gutiérrez, Enith Johana Pacheco Casadiegos, Orlando de Jesús Marín Lorduy, Daniela Bellon Monsalve and Jossie Esteban Garzon Baquero ()
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María Pierina Lucco García: Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia
Pablo Andrés Pérez Gutiérrez: Instituto de Investigaciones Xerira, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia
Enith Johana Pacheco Casadiegos: Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia
Orlando de Jesús Marín Lorduy: Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia
Daniela Bellon Monsalve: Instituto de Investigaciones Xerira, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia
Jossie Esteban Garzon Baquero: Instituto de Investigaciones Xerira, Facultad de Ingenierías y Tecnologías, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga 680001, Colombia

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-23

Abstract: This study explores the cultural, productive, territorial, and organizational practices of cacao-producing families in Lebrija, Santander (Colombia), within the broader context of rural sustainability and peasant identity in Latin America. In response to recent national and international frameworks recognizing the rights of peasants, the research aims to document local knowledge systems and community-based strategies that sustain rural livelihoods. Through a qualitative ethnographic approach, including participatory workshops, semi-structured interviews, and social cartography, the study collected narratives, practices, and territorial dynamics over the course of one year. The results reveal that cacao production is not only an economic activity, but a deeply embedded cultural process that intertwines with memory, family ties, lunar cycles, and environmental stewardship. Participants described conflicts related to water access, deforestation, poultry farming, and the expansion of urban infrastructure. Despite these pressures, families demonstrated adaptive capacities through agrodiversity, traditional knowledge, and associative work. The study concludes that these cacao-based practices offer valuable insights into bottom-up strategies for resilience and territorial sustainability and calls for greater inclusion of peasant knowledge in rural development agendas.

Keywords: cacao-based livelihoods; traditional ecological knowledge; rural sustainability; farmer identity; agroecology; socio-environmental conflicts; Colombia; water security; cultural practices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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