Summary
This qualitative study examines small-scale agropastoralism in Colombia's Boyacá páramos, arguing that mobile pastoral systems contribute to re-peasantisation and agrobiodiversity conservation rather than environmental degradation. Through 53 semi-structured interviews and spatial analysis, the authors demonstrate how agropastoral mobility and socio-economic networks facilitate dynamic land access, prevent overgrazing, and support farmer autonomy—offering an alternative to land-sparing conservation approaches that prioritise sedentary 'green' economies.
UK applicability
Whilst the páramo context and conservation policy framework are specific to Colombia, the paper's conceptual contributions regarding mobile pastoral systems, social network resilience, and agroecological production may inform UK debates on upland farming transitions and the role of livestock in supporting landscape-scale biodiversity, particularly in marginal hill farming regions.
Key measures
Interview data from 53 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and small-scale agropastoralists; field observation; spatial analysis of mobility patterns across páramo ecosystems
Outcomes reported
The study documented how small-scale agropastoral systems in the páramos facilitate re-peasantisation through socio-economic networks and mobility patterns. It examined how mobile livestock production strategies support agrobiodiversity and prevent overgrazing whilst maintaining farmer autonomy.
Topic tags
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