Rural Development and Social Economy in the Peasant Reserve zone of Cabrera, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. In Colombia, the limitations of rural development stem from the inconsistency in compliance with the laws that support it. Because of this, there are shortcomings in the face of property rights and conflict over land use, affecting the quality of life of the population of rural laborers. Methodology. For the development of this research from a qualitative approach with the case study as a method, the following techniques were used to generate the data: the analysis of documents, the semi-structured interview, the application of surveys and direct observation. Results. Economic practices that improve the income of rural families were identified. These include the cultivation and processing of some products of the region. The analysis of social welfare indicators in two periods of time show and reflect a favorable rural development. Discussion. Due to their characteristics, the Campesino Reserve (ZRC) areas are an ideal setting to implement social economy practices. These are subject to compliance with the land distribution regulations and to a necessary education process for community participation, which guarantees more participation
and therefore greater coverage of the benefits. Conclusions. The potential of the ZRCs to promote rural development from the active participation of their communities, can be seen through the compatibility of the theoretical components that define the ZRC and the Social Economy. As well as with the informationgenerated from the survey and interviews applied to residents of the Area.