RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PRODUCTIVE CONDITIONS IN THE BANANA SECTOR, MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA.
In today’s world, the demand for safe and high-quality food is constantly increasing due to globalization and growing competition. This has led some organizations to become more concerned about the safety and sustainability of food production and to promote what we call Good Agricultural Practices (GAP); a set of rules and recommendations that apply to the way food is produced, processed and transported. They aim to ensure that food is safe, healthy and environmentally friendly.
In short, these practices seek to make food production more sustainable in environmental, economic and social terms. This is important because natural resources are limited, and we must use them responsibly to ensure that future generations will also have access to quality food.
The implementation of these Good Agricultural Practices not only benefits the environment and society, but also brings economic advantages to producers by improving the quality of their products, accessing to new markets and by reducing costs, among other benefits.
In 2013, WWF began a project in Colombia and Ecuador to promote sustainable practices in banana production. This project has succeeded by increasing the adoption of GAP and has identified sustainable practices in areas such as natural resource management, water, climate change and waste management.
This effort has demonstrated that the implementation of sustainable practices in banana production benefits the entire supply chain, reducing environmental impact and improving the quality of life of those involved in its production and consumption.
The publication “Recommendations for the development of agricultural practices to improve environmental and productive conditions in the banana sector, Magdalena, Colombia” presents the most outstanding practices and achievements of almost ten years of implementation in these countries. We hope that these experiences will serve as a guide for other producers in the banana industry and other sectors seeking to adopt more sustainable practices.
