Sostenibilidad como estrategia de competitividad empresarial en sistemas de producción agropecuaria

Agricultural production requires the construction of a development model that involves changes in economic-productive, social and environmental aspects. This article evaluates sustainability as a strategic element of competitiveness of farmer production systems in the province of Sumapaz in Cundinamarca, Colombia. The objective is to carry out a sustainability assessment that: 1) identifies the biophysical and cultural characteristics of agricultural producers and their production systems, 2) assesses the value of agricultural and business practices as tools when facing changes in the globalization processes of markets and adoption of new forms of business development, 3) identifies the cultural factors —social, economic— that enhance, limit or manifest the resilience of the production systems under study. The description of the biophysical and socioeconomic variables was obtained from a review of secondary and primary sources: field checks, interviews, surveys, visits, observation, guided tours and social cartography. The sample was obtained based on the following criteria: a) size of the farms (1-10 ha), b) farms with more than three milking cows, c) inventories with minor species, d) permanent agricultural production, e) accessibility to water sources and f) communication channels. Twenty farms were studied, presenting positive indices of sustainability —between 3.0 and 4.0—, which shows the socioeconomic and productive conditions of the agricultural producers; where seventeen farms (85%) indicate the possibility of improvement and three farms (15%) that indicate a high resilience. Regardless of size, it is concluded that the farms have the capacity to produce food and a system of force production adapted to the bioclimatic conditions and the needs of the market. This is how they are constituted as elements that involve factors of productivity, profitability and sustainability in the service of farmers and consumers.