By Jessica González Regalado and Sylvanus Odjo
In Colombia, maize is the most important cereal, integral to culture, tradition, and diet. In 2019, Colombia consumed 7.2 million tons of maize, a quarter of which was white-grain maize used for human food (the remainder was yellow-grain maize for animal feed, with a small portion for industrial uses). National production is concentrated in the departments of Meta, Tolima, Córdoba, Huila, and Valle del Cauca. Native and creole maize varieties — the latter comprising farmer varieties of mixed native and other ancestries — are grown for use in traditional dishes or for sale at local markets.
Due to climate change, socioeconomic pressures, and the out-migration of smallholder farmers seeking better livelihoods, native maize varieties and the unique genetic qualities those varieties embody are endangered. We aim to design strategies that benefit smallholders who wish to continue in agriculture and perhaps continue growing native varieties valued in their communities, thus fostering the conservation and production of native maize. CIMMYT in Mexico has already facilitated commercial linkages between chefs in Mexico City and tourist areas (for example, in the states of Oaxaca, Yucatán, and the State of Mexico), sourcing blue maize landrace grain from farmers in mutually beneficial arrangements.
CIMMYT and local partners have launched an ambitious initiative to map and strengthen the value chain of native maize in the departments of Nariño, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Valle del Cauca, and Putumayo to promote beneficial farmer-market linkages and better understand Colombia’s maize value chain. Carried out under the Nature Positive Initiative of OneCGIAR, the project is documenting maize conservation, marketing, and consumption to design a critical path that strengthens the value chain of Colombian native maize and benefits agriculture and the economy of rural Colombian communities.