Policies for bridging the urban–rural gap in Colombia

Parra-Peña, Rafael Isidro; Ordóñez, Liliana; Acosta, Camilo. 2012. Policies for bridging the urban–rural gap in Colombia. CIAT Policy Brief No. 7. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia. 6 p.

Rapid urbanization presents unprecedented challenges for Colombia’s agricultural production and food security. To address the extensive implications of this demographic shift, public efforts should be undertaken to strengthen the agricultural sector and set the country on a path toward sustainable growth. The success of those efforts will depend on their ability to narrow the socio-economic divide between urban and rural areas. Toward this end, public policy initiatives will need to stimulate key drivers of human development in rural areas by promoting access to land, improving public administration, and closing the gender gap.