Table Of ContentAbout the Authors
Hubert Zandstra is a Canadian soil
scientist who was IDRC's field team coor-
dinator and agronomist in the Caqueza
Project from 1971to1975. He is currently
leader of the multiple cropping program at
the International Rice Research Institute in
the Philippines.
Kenneth Swanberg is a U.S. citizen with
degrees in sociology, psychology, and
agricultural economics. He was with the
Caqueza Project from 1972 to 1976 with
responsibilities relating to the socioecono-
mic aspects of the program. At present he
is a member of a Harvard team advising
the Planning Division of the Kenyan Minis-
try of Agriculture in Nairobi.
Carlos Zulberti is an Argentinian agricul-
tural economist who worked with the
Caqueza Project from 1974 to 1976. Dur-
ing this time he was concerned with the
planning and analysis of the project's eco-
nomic findings. Currently he is a leader of
a Canadian-financed bilateral assistance
project assisting the Government of Ecua-
dor in development planning.
Barry Nestel is British and was an asso-
ciate director of IDRC's Agriculture, Food
and Nutrition Sciences Division from 1970
to 1976. During this time he negotiated and
managed IDRC's involvement in Caqueza.
He currently works out of England as an
independent consultant.
Caqueza:
Living Rural Development
The International Development Research Centre is a public corpora-
tion created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to support research
designed to adapt science and technology to the needs of developing
countries. The Centre's activity is concentrated in five sectors: agri-
culture, food and nutrition sciences; health sciences; information
sciences; social sciences; and communications. IDRC is financed
solely by the Government of Canada; its policies, however, are set by
an international Board of Governors. The Centre's headquarters are
in Ottawa, Canada. Regional offices are located in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, and the Middle East.
®1979 International Development Research Centre
Postal Address: Box 8500, Ottawa, Canada KlG 3H9
Head Office: 60 Queen Street, Ottawa
Zandstra, H.
Swanberg, K.
Zulberti, C.
Nestel, B.
IDRC, Ottawa CA IDRC-107e
Caqueza: living rural development. Ottawa, Ont., IDRC, 1979. 321 p.:
ill.
/IDRC publication/. Report and /project evaluation/ of the I agricultural
project/ of/ rural development/ in East Cundinamarca, I Colombia/ - dis-
cusses the success in terms of reorientation of / agricultural research I
through /field activity/, /agricultural extension/ techniques, and /agricul-
tural training/; presents factors affecting adoption rates (risk, /agricultural
market/ing, /agricultural credit/ and training); recommends the implemen-
tation of an /agricultural policy/ that would permit the application of re-
search results for the benefit of the small /farmer/. /Bibliography/.
UDC: 711.3(861) ISBN: 0-88936-167-3
Microfiche edition available
IDRC-107e
Caqueza:
Living Rural Development
Hubert Zandstra, Kenneth Swanberg,
Carlos Zulberti, and Barry Nestel
Foreword by Josue Franco
This work was carried out with the aid of grants from the International Development
Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. The uiews expressed are those of the authors and
do not necessarily represent the uiews of the Centre.
Publisher's Note
We are grateful to Dr Josue Franco for writing the Foreword to this book. Dr Franco
is the Colombian who has been most closely associated with this project. Originally
trained as a veterinarian, he was the Colombian Agricultural lnstitute's (!CA) Director
for the region that included Caqueza when the project was initiated in early 1971. He later
became Deputy Director of !CA responsible for all rural development activities and since
mid-1976 has been Director-General of ICA.
One of the authors, Dr Barry Nestel, acted as editor of the entire text and volun-
teered many weeks of his time to put the material into publishable form. His mammoth
editorial contribution is gratefully acknowledged.
2
About the Authors
Hubert Zandstra is a Canadian soil scientist who was IDRC's field team coordi-
nator and agronomist in the Caqueza Project from 1971to1975. He is currently
leader of the multiple cropping program at the International Rice Research
Institute in the Philippines.
Kenneth Swanberg is a U.S. citizen with degrees in sociology, psychology, and
agricultural economics. He was with the Caqueza Project from 1972 to 1976 with
responsibilities relating to the socioeconomic aspects of the program. At pres-
ent he is a member of a Harvard team advising the Planning Division of the
Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture in Nairobi.
Carlos Zulberti is an Argentinian agricultural economist who worked with the
Caqueza Project from 197 4 to 1976. Dur\ng this time he was concerned with the
planning and analysis of the project's economic findings. Currently he is a leader
of a Canadian-financed bilateral assistance project assisting the Government of
Ecuador in development planning.
Barry Nestel is British and was an associate director of IDRC's Agriculture,
Food and Nutrition Sciences Division from 1970 to 1976. During this time he
negotiated and managed IDRC's involvement in Caqueza. He currently works
out of England as an independent consultant.
3
Contents
Foreword 5
Acknowledgments 6
Introduction 9
Acronyms and Abbreviations 15
Exchange Rates 16
Part I The Evolution of the Caqueza Project Design 17
Chapter 1 Historical Perspectives of Rural Development
Strategy 21
Chapter 2 The Formulation of Integrated Rural Development
Activities in Colombia 28
Chapter 3 Characteristics of the Caqueza Project Area 37
Part II Five Years of Experience in Caqueza 45
Chapter 4 1971: The First Year - A Year of Observation 49
Chapter 5 1972: The Second Year - A Year of Learning 65
Chapter 6 1973: The Third Year - A Year of Change 82
Chapter 7 1974: The Fourth Year - A Year of Synthesis 98
Chapter 8 1975: The Fifth Year - A Year of Impact 112
Part Ill Research on Production Systems and the Formulation of New
Technology 125
Chapter 9 Research to Understand the Existing Production Systems 129
Chapter 10 Research to Test the Value of Recommended Practices 160
Part IV Factors Influencing Adoption Rates 191
Chapter 11 Risk 195
Chapter 12 Credit 209
Chapter 13 Marketing 229
Chapter 14 Training 241
Chapter 15 Buffer Institutions 254
Part V Measuring Achievements 267
Chapter 16 Evaluation in Caqueza 271
Chapter 17 An Overview of the First Five Years 291
Bibliography 311
4
Foreword
When the Caqueza Project was initiated and the first agreements of
cooperation were signed with the International Development Research Centre,
it was difficult to visualize the scope of the project about to take place in that
area. As the project progressed, it became evident that the cooperation of
institutions and officials from different parts of the world represented a step
forward in the complex problem of rural development, understood as the
improvement of the living standards of the small farmer.
For Colombia, the Caqueza Project was of crucial importance, particularly
in the methodological aspects of rural development. Most likely, the people
involved in the project would think now that at the beginning there was not too
clear a definition of goals to be achieved. However, although still far from a final
solution, we have to admit that several concepts have been clarified and several
situations have been modified, all of them of utmost importance in the efforts to
improve the welfare of the rural populations.
For ICA, the Colombian Agricultural Institute, various internal changes
related directly or indirectly to the Caqueza Project. In the field of research,
new methodologies and strategies have come from it, especially in relation to
multiple cropping systems. In the transfer of technology, the successes and
failures of the Caqueza Project were incorporated into the experience of ICA,
complementing the knowledge of the professional staff devoted to this task. In
the social aspects, even though there was no accumulation of experience about
the methodology to be pursued, at least its traditional contents were questioned
as well as the sort of training personnel working in those areas should receive.
To a large extent, the concept of the Integrated Rural Development
Program was based on the experiences of Caqueza and other similar projects
handled by ICA in different parts of Colombia. Institutional efforts to improve
the knowledge on the small farmer and of his complex social-economic world
were inspired by the research carried out by the Caqueza Project.
Emphasis should be placed as well on an important impact aspect of this
project: the linkage of the project to the university and vice versa, resulting in
excellent information for the project and a better training for the student, and
showing that the extrapolation of this experience will reduce research costs and
give real meaning to the technical capacity of the·university.
Whoever visits Caqueza today possibly will not find a radical change in the
living standards of its people. But, whoever analyzes the processes of rural
development in Colombia will find a direct or indirect reference to the method-
ology developed there.
To the above considerations we should add that the flexibility and under-
standing on the part of IDRC in handling the agreement permitted the success
obtained. The fact of having learnt to live with the constraints of a developing
country, without interfering in its decision-making processes, deserves mention
as a prime example of true coordination between institutions. ICA on its part,
was always willing to listen to any suggestions IDRC had and to implement them
in its activities. Colombia and ICA are most grateful and indebted to IDRC.
Josue Franco
Director-General, ICA
5
Acknowledgments
The Caqueza Project owes its philosophy and development to a large team of people.
It would never have been initiated without the courage and imagination of Jorge Ortiz
Mendez and the support of W. David Hopper (Director-General of ICA and President of
IDRC respectively in 1970). Having been initiated, its successful implementation resulted
from the contributions of many people.
In its early days the project cut across traditional hierarchical lines within ICA and
only the determination of the late Miguel Hernandez and the late Canuto Cardona
enabled it to survive considerable internal opposition. In the project team itself, a group of
dynamic men and women, including Ciro Villamizar, Roberto Gonzalez, German
Escobar, Luis Alfonso Chudt, Lelia Cruz, and Agustin Cobos, have been responsible for
carrying out and/or supervising much of the work described in this book. In the mid-
1970s, the training activities of William Amezquita and Ester Zulberti did much to ensure
that Caqueza did not remain an isolated pilot project but had a training influence at the
national level.
The project's strongest supporter within ICA has always been Josue Franco who in
1970 was ICA's Director for Region No. 1, whichjncluded Caqueza. Later he became
Deputy Director-General of ICA in charge of Development and, in 1976, Director-
General of the organization. Dr Franco's constant support and encouragement, more
than anything else, served to weld the local and foreign staff of the Caqueza Project into
an effective development team.
There were many other people who also made significant inputs to the story told in
this book. The list below records the names and positions within !CA and associated
organizations of those to whom the authors are particularly indebted.
Directors-General (ICA): Jorge Ortiz Mendez, Vicente Davila Suarez, Rafael Marino
Navas
Deputy Directors-General (for Deuelopment) (/CA): Rodrigo Duarte, Miguel
Hernandez, Josue Franco
Directors of Planning (!CA): Hernan Chaverra, Jorge Quintero
Directors of the Rural Deuelopment Project Diuision (/CA): Hugo Manzano, Ciro
Villamizar
National Coordinator of Rural Deue/opment Projects (ICA): Canuto Cardona
Director of the Diuision of Socio-Economic Studies (ICA): Diego Londono
Directors of the National Rural Deuelopment Training Project (!CA): Ramiro Hernandez,
William Amezquita
Central Support Group for Rural Deuelopment (/CA): Hector Diaz, Hiriam Tobon,
Efrain Ponce, Ruben Jaramillo, Guillermo Cardona
Directors of the Caqueza Project ([CA): Hernan Arellano, Pedro Quintero, Luis Alfonso
Agudelo, Roberto Gonzalez, Carlos Tarazona
Caqueza Project Professional Staff (ICA): German Escobar, Luis Alfonso Chudt, Lelia
Cruz, Agustin Cobos, Luis Alfredo Serrato, Santiago Schneider, Alcibiades Antelo
6
