Good Practice on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems. Alternative Animal Feed and Self-Management Catalyze the Success and Competitiveness of Integrated Farms

Food and Nutritional Security (FNS), understood as the availability and access to quality food, is fundamental for human development. The sustainability and progress of the agricultural sector are essential to maintain a food supply in quantity and quality. In the department of Córdoba, multidimensional poverty is twice as high for rural areas (51.9 percent) as compared to urban areas (23.3 percent). Thus, rural producers' role in boosting the local economy, contributing to generating jobs and FNS is essential.

Many of these producers are located in areas difficult to access, far from populated centers. Therefore, they face high costs in inputs and commercial animal feed diets, which end up increasing production costs.

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of National Education (MEN) University of Córdoba are collaborating to the increase competitiveness and success of "integrated farms". In this initiative, alternative plant feeds are used for animal production and thus contribute to the FNS, and agricultural products are optimized to, ultimately improve the quality of life of rural communities in four municipalities of the coastal subregion of the department of Córdoba.