| Sumario: | This soil and cacao genomics survey was developed cooperatively by United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) and United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) in conjunction with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT), Pennsylvania State University, Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), Colombian
Cacao Producers Federation (FEDECACAO), and United Nations Office against
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of the Cacao for Peace (CfP) Initiative. The CfP
seeks to improve rural well-being in Colombia through agricultural development that
is inclusive and sustainable and has a positive impact on cacao farmer’s incomes,
economic opportunity, stability, and peace. The CfP is analyzing soil, water, and
genetic characteristics in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Region. The successful
implementation of the CfP initiative requires a detailed soil survey to support natural
resource management and field conservation practices. The data are intended to
serve as the source document for soils within the designated borders of the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta Region.
This survey contains information that affects current and future land-use planning in
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It contains predictions of soil behavior for selected land
uses and information on major genetic groups of cacao trees. The survey highlights
soil limitations, actions needed to overcome the limitations, and the impact of selected
land uses on the environment. It is designed to meet the needs of Colombian farmers
to better understand the properties of the soils, the genomics of the cacao plants,
and the effects of these properties on various natural ecological characteristics. This
knowledge can help the local cacao growers to understand, protect, and enhance the
soil resources and to grow suitable cacao varieties in the region.
The report is intended to identify soil properties that are used in making various land
use or land treatment decisions and to identify the major cacao plant genomes in the
area. Statements made in this report are intended to help the land users identify and
reduce the limitations on various land uses.
Soil properties that affect land use are described in this survey. The location of each
map unit is shown on the detailed soil map. Each soil in the survey area is described,
and information on specific uses is given. Help in using this publication and additional
information are available at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
and online. The soil maps and field data collected and processed for the CfP initiative
are available on web-based platforms and apps for portable devices, such as cellular
phones.
This project lays the foundation for the continuation of the CfP Initiative. The
initiative supports the priorities of the Government of Colombia and works to ensure
sustainable growth in the agricultural sector. The initiative has the goal of increasing
farmer incomes by increasing cacao yields and improving cacao quality. Drawing upon
innovations and lessons learned from the historical development of conservation in the
United States, NRCS has been able to provide technical assistance and to collaborate
in many ways in the planning, design, and implementation of the project.
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