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Institution: CORPOICA, Colombia

E-mail: grodriguez@corpoica.org.co

Biosummary:

• Current position:

1994 to date: Research Associate, National Program for Agricultural Machinery and Postharvest Equipment. Impact assessment. CORPOICA, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia. Economist, Head of the Strategic Plan for Sugarcane Destined to Produce "Panela" (brown sugar loaves); responsible for conducting socioeconomic studies on rural agroindustries and for providing support to technology development projects.

• Previous positions:

1990-1993: Professional, Technical and Scientific Area, Agricultural Processes Program, ICA, Barbosa, Colombia. Analysis of technology adoption by sugar agroindustries in several cane-producing areas of Colombia. Coordinator of several socioeconomic studies on sugar agroindustries in Colombia.

1987-1990: Researcher in socioeconomics. Colombia-Holland Agreement for Improving the Sugar Industry, CIMPA. CIMPA, Barbosa, Colombia. Socioeconomic characterization of the production of "panela" (brown sugar loaves) in the Suárez river basin and in western Cundinamarca. Study of the consumption of "panela" in several Colombian cities.

• Education:

1991-1993: Universidad de Los Andes, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia. M.S. in Economics

1978-1986: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Santafé de Bogotá. Agricultural Engineer

1977-1983: Universidad Incca de Colombia, Santafé de Bogotá. Agricultural Economist

Title: "The linkages between research and development for the panela agroindustry with poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation: The case of Hoya Del Rio Suarez in Colombia". Co-author: Maria Victoria Gottret.

Theme: 2B

Abstract:

In 1985 the Colombian and Dutch governments established a cooperation project for the improvement of the panela agroindustry. The goal of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the standard of living of the families who produce panela. This goal was to be achieved by the generation and diffusion of appropriate technology. The Hoya del río Suárez region, which produces 30% of Colombia’s panela was chosen as the pilot zone. In 1995, the project was extended to the panela producing region of Cundinamarca Department.

The technology developed reduces production costs by 13-37%, depending on the technologies adopted, and generated an overall economic benefit of 61.3 million US$ during the 1985-98 period. In addition, an improved furnace design substantially reduces de use of firewood, emissions of CO₂ , and sulfur contamination from the burning of car tires, which are employed when there firewood scarcity.

This paper assesses the adoption process of the new technology, its economic impact, and its contribution to the protection of the natural resource base. This document also analyzes the effect of the technology and its diffusion on poverty alleviation and overall quality of life, based on indicators defined by the communities involved in the project.