Good Practice on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems. Building a Sustainable Productive Future.

Colombia produces more sugar per month on one hectare of land than any other country. This privilege is due to the productivity of sugar cane grown in the Cauca River valley, where 14 processing plants operate nearly year-round to produce sugar, honey, bioethanol, and electrical energy. The cane is supplied by 2750 growers, owners of 75 percent of the 240 000 hecatres planted, and by the sugar mills themselves (25 percent of the area). The sugar cane chain provides more than 286 000 direct and indirect jobs. In 51 municipalities in 5 departments, 6 out of every 10 families depend on this productive activity.

In 2016, the Fénix Program, now known as the Integra Program, was created in the Cauca River Valley. Since 2020, this initiative has been led by the Colombian Sugar Cane research Center, Cenicaña, as an opportunity to proactively prepare for the future. The goal of the Integra Program is to strengthen the transition process and continuous improvement of sugar cane growers towards sustainable production and management.