Why are the indigenous communities of Colombia among the most affected by the COVID19 outbreak? Despite living close to the land to be cultivated, they are going through a food security crisis. 

For the Kamëntsá indigenous people in Putumayo, Colombia, the economic system has led to the transformation of their agroecological traditions into an export-oriented monoculture. By producing cash crops, they became dependent on global markets and lost their autonomy.

In this episode, Henry Mavisoy, from the Kamëntsá community, tells us how the historical conditions and the notion of modernity have resulted in the exacerbation of the fragility of his community to face the current pandemic. We also talk about the responses & proposals that the ancestral principles of indigenous communities bring to face this environmental, economic, health and social crisis. Finally, we share how we all can support alternative development focused on conservation, solidarity, and the green economy. Henry is an Agricultural and Forest Engineer with a Master in Agroecology and is currently the director of the Agricultural Engineering program in the University of Environmental and Applied Sciences (UDCA) in Colombia.

For more information visit ColombiaConexion - SF Bay in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.