Caracterización ambiental del municipio de Fosca, Cundinamarca en el contexto de la soberanía y seguridad alimentaria

Abstract

This internship was developed within the framework of the research project "Inclusion and recognition of diversity and cultural difference in science education, through educational innovations that foster dialogue between academic scientific knowledge (ASC) and local traditions (LT) in and for rural communities. Case studies: Fosca and Fómeque," funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias). The focus of work focused on the characterization of the environmental component of the municipality of Fosca (Cundinamarca), based on theoretical and methodological tools that allowed the identification of vulnerability factors and problems associated with food security, as established in the general objective of the internship. In a global context where more than 735 million people suffer from hunger (FAO, 2023), and where climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss compromise the sustainability of food systems (IPCC, 2022), the study of these factors in rural territories is urgent and relevant. Fosca is a municipality with an agricultural vocation located in the province of Oriente, Cundinamarca. It faces challenges associated with soil erosion, pressure on water sources, and climate variability, which affect agricultural production and, consequently, the food security of its inhabitants (Mayor's Office of Fosca, 2024; Government of Cundinamarca, 2023). This situation is aggravated by the progressive abandonment of the countryside and the transformation of consumption patterns (Rincón, 2020), which weakens peasant food autonomy and accentuates dependence on external markets. In order to provide tools for territorial analysis, a mixed methodological approach was used based on Bibliographic Information Mapping (BIM) (Ferreira & Souza, 2020), the application of the Leopold Matrix (Conesa, 2015), and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (IGAC, 2022). This methodological combination allowed for the development of a comprehensive view of the relationships between the environment, agricultural practices, and access to food, thus guiding the formulation of strategies for sustainable environmental management in rural contexts. During the process, the internship involved research, cartographic analysis, impact systematization, and the dissemination of progress in academic settings. This internship represents a concrete outcome of the institutional project, providing empirical evidence for the design of educational and technical proposals that articulate scientific knowledge with rural territorial realities.