Cost-benefit analysis of the transformation of crops of illegal nature to legal crops to facilitate the development of agrobusinesses in Colombia's Catatumbo region

Abstract

Purpose: to compare the cost/benefit of illegal crops versus legal crops, which is the result of voluntary eradication in the municipality of Hacarí, North Santander, Colombia. Method: the research was based on the positivist paradigm, quantitative methodology, and correlational approach. The population under study was limited to those in charge of the municipality's community action boards and farmers who addressed the voluntary substitution of coca crops. The data collection technique applied was a survey through the application of a survey questionnaire. Results: it was found that there is no information on hectares, crop rotations, and investments in inputs. It was also determined that the number of hectares sown with coca grew and that the farmers who substituted the crops did not receive any help from the government. Additionally, it became clear that there is still undue pressure, with the additional problem that substitution has been voluntary and costly. Discussions: despite the existence of state programs, there is still little credibility in the solution to the problem, input costs are increasingly high, and the social neglect of the region and pressure from illegal forces are evident. Conclusions: illegal crops generate more wages per hectare than legal crops and are more profitable over time. The trails of the research process undertaken have produced hopeful answers where it is technically proven that there is an agricultural potential that has not yet been fully exploited, which is of legal use and is more attractive than the crops of illegal use.