Project Management Team
Team Leader: Marija Maneiko
Prepared By: V. Barbancho, C. Huertas, M. Maneiko, A. Snider, S. Pinna & A. Tanasijevic.
Project Executive Summary
Potato cultivation is an important source of income for farmers throughout Colombia and in the Villapinzon region in particular. Recently, potatoes imported from other countries have dominated the markets in Bogota and undercut the prices of local producers. The Villapinzon region has a high cost of production due to the use of traditional and manual methods, but also produces a product of high quality and distinctive taste that is not found in other potatoes on the market. The potato producers of the Villapinzon region are unable to make a living through potato production and have low levels of education and social capital. The goal of this project is to obtain a protected denomination of origin (DO) for the Papa de Villapinzon to improve the livelihoods and marketing opportunities for the people in this region.
This certification will differentiate the Papa de Villapinzon in the market and reduce the asymmetry of information between producers and consumers. The certification will be accompanied by a transfer of appropriate technologies that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable and will improve the quality of the product and the quality of life of the farmers involved.
Well-managed denominations of origin can be powerful marketing tools as well as tools for rural development. A DO is a legal destinction that identifies an agricultural product from a certain region that is produced in a traditional way and protects that product from others who would otherwise usurp the market recognition of the protected product. DOs can improve rural livelihoods by increasing income generated from agricultural activities, encourage the collective action of the community and inspire a sense of pride in the cultural heritage of the people. We feel that the Papa de Villapinzon is a viable candidate for a designation of origin because of the distinctiveness of the product and the traditional methods used to produce it.
The development of this project was based in part on infomation compiled by the Corporación Autónoma Regional (CAR), the Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales (IDEAM), the Sistema de Información Ambiental de Colombia (SIAC), the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, the Alcaldía Municipal de Villapinzón, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and other national and international entities who have completed studies on the natural resources of the municipality, market studies, consumer preference and all reference information needed for baseline information to evaluate the viability of this project for a rural Colombian community.
This report is intended to provide tools to determine the viability of this type of certification in the context of the Colombian community of Villapinzon. It contains information about stakeholders who will collaborate in the development and implementation of this project, some public, private, mixed and NGOs, each of whom provide financial, physical and social support, depending on the situation.
An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this project reveal that the Papa de Villapinzon is a project worth pursuing. The major strengths of the project are a product of distinction, a tradition of potato cultivation in the area and a high market demand for potatoes. The authors feel that these strengths can overcome problems of low social capital in the area by encouraging collective action among the farmers. We also feel that collective action and the work of partner organizations such as Oxfam will help the producers overcome the problems of poor infrastructure in the Villapinzon area.
The Gantt chart presents a timeline of the tasks associated with this project. It is estimated that the duration of the project from viability studies to the first certified potatoes arriving on the market will be about 18 months. This, however, is dependant on the length of the approval process for the denomination of origin. The information-gathering and execution phases are clearly indicated on the Gantt chart. The first phase of the process is a series of studies to better understand the beneficiaries, the market, the product and the viability of the certification. After this data is collected, the execution of the project will begin. The execution phase will be coordinated with the local partner CCI and will include the DO application, the transfer of technology to the producers and supply chain management. The project will end and all authority will be transfered to local partners at the time that the first DO certified potatoes reach the Bogota market.
This project would not be possible without the support of the Municipo de Villapinzon Cudinamarca, which will provide the funding for the project. We are also greatful for the cooperation of the local partner CCI, which will manage the project in the execution phase. CCI will coordinate with SENA to provide technical training for the potato producers and with Oxfam and ILSA to imrpove the marketing activities and shorten the supply chain. CCI will also assist in organizing the collective action of the farmers.
