Stakeholders workshop in Valle del Cauca region (Colombia)

On 5th of November took placed an stakeholders workshop in the frame of RUSTICA project in Valle del Cauca region. In the following lines you will see how the workshop was organized.

First of all, the participants were welcomed and introduced to the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT and a brief description of the project was shared with them. Afterwards, there was a round of presentation from all the participants and they shared their experience around bio fertilisers and valorisation of harvest residues.

Brainstorming on ideal outcomes from the project

A brainstorming session was conducted by requesting the participants to ask the following question:

‘What would be one or more ideal outcomes of the RUSTICA project from your point of view?’

Everyone wrote down the project goals from their own perspective and then they were ranked according to time and priority.

Validation of regional market analysis

A fact sheet was handed out to everyone and it was presented step by step. Participants were organized in three groups according to their affiliation (research centre/academia, fertilisers companies, producers) to reflect on 3 questions about the fact sheet:

1. Is there any data that does not match, you don’t understand or surprises you?
2. Are there more relevant regional waste streams that you are aware of that are not covered on the fact sheet?
3. Do you think there are any limiting factors?

Afterwards, the answers were discussed.

Developing future scenarios in the subgroups

Three tables were stablished. Each table got a question assigned and had a volunteer rapporteur. The rest of the participants rotated through the tables to answer the three questions:

1. What are the factors (drivers / trends) that positively influence the production and diffusion of bio-based fertilisers from fruit and vegetable wastes?
2. What are the current obstacles on your region that may limit its development?
3. What are the opportunities and threats to increase the production or use of bio-based fertilisers?

At the end, each rapporteur presented all the results.