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Abstract:
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"This paper examines a rich, but very fragile area in the southern part of Colombia, from the pre-Columbian era up to date. The historical approach makes it possible to examine different property systems and their results in terms of choice of agricultural technology and natural resources conservation. During the pre-Columbian era, under a common property system with collective action, the Indians developed an agricultural technology especially suited to prevent soil erosion. Colonial institutions, 'resguardos' and 'latifundia' continued to be soil erosion protective. The first, was a common property system with collective action, and maintained the soil conservation technologies. The second one, was a private property system. It was also soil protective because of the low soil use intensity, a result of the demographical catastrophe caused by conquest. Nevertheless, these institutions led to share contracts, and population growth, to the overpopulation of the Republican 'resguardos.' During the early Republican time, most of the conservation technologies remained, but land was used intensively. It was after the agrarian reform, which consolidated private small-hold property, and the Integrated Rural Development Program (1968 up to date), that the traditional agricultural technologies were modified, leading to a severe erosion process and to the disappearance of traditional staples and varieties in this area. Theoretical predictions on the basis of the property systems characteristics are severely affected by other factors, specifically, by collective action, population density and government's agricultural technical assistance. In the future, government must take especial care to assure that agricultural research and technological transference complement high-yielding varieties with proper soil conservation technologies and biodiversity preservation."
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