In Nueva Pativaca, an isolated rural community in northern Colombia, papaya has become much more than an agricultural crop. For the families that returned to the area after years of conflict, the fruit represents an opportunity to rebuild their livelihoods, restore trust and give the territory a new identity.
The community, located in Los Montes de María, has around 300 inhabitants and still lacks electricity. Poor road access also complicates the transport and marketing of agricultural produce.
Despite these limitations, the ASOAGROPAT agro-entrepreneurial and community association brings together 45 families farming approximately 20 hectares. Most of its members are women.
The organisation is represented by Yoleida Isabel Salcedo Martínez, who describes papaya as the link connecting her personal story with the collective recovery of a territory severely affected by violence.
From tobacco to fruit production
Before the conflict, dark tobacco was the community’s main crop and source of income. When families returned following the peace agreements, they attempted to resume production, but the companies that had previously purchased the tobacco had left the area.
Without buyers, the harvest could not be sold and much of it was lost. The community was therefore forced to search for an alternative capable of generating income and supporting its recovery.
Papaya provided that opportunity.
“Our lives changed. I can still remember how excited we were when we received our first cheque,” explains Salcedo Martínez.
The transition was not immediate. Some farmers initially doubted the crop’s profitability and declined to join the initiative. The association began primarily with women and only three or four men.
Over time, however, papaya demonstrated both its commercial potential and its capacity to bring people together.
A crop that restores social ties
The conflict had profoundly damaged relationships within the community. Fear and mistrust had become widespread, making collective work particularly difficult.
According to Salcedo Martínez, growing papaya helped families reconnect and gradually rebuild the social fabric.
“Papaya has become a symbol of peace, love and reconciliation,” she says. Through agricultural projects, workshops and shared commercial objectives, the crop has encouraged new forms of cooperation.
Its economic impact has also been significant. According to the association’s representative, no previous crop—including cassava, yams, maize or other traditional products—had generated comparable returns.
ASOAGROPAT also grows sesame and produces sesame paste, an activity that became an important source of income during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, papaya remains at the centre of the organisation’s development strategy.
Distinctive growing conditions
Papaya production in Nueva Pativaca benefits from the area’s particular climatic conditions. Daytime temperatures can exceed 40°C, while mornings are considerably cooler. According to the producers, this contrast gives the fruit a distinctive colour and flavour.
The crop is harvested around eight months after planting, and each hectare can produce approximately one tonne of fruit per week.
However, water availability remains a major constraint. Rainfall is concentrated during three months of the year, while conditions remain dry for the rest of the season.
The community has received support from the Rural Development Agency to develop an irrigation system, although improving water infrastructure remains essential for future growth.
Climate change is adding further pressure, as papaya requires a regular water supply to maintain production.
Poor roads hinder market access
Transport represents another of the association’s principal challenges. The poor condition of local access roads forces producers to move their fruit through the neighbouring department of Sucre.
This increases logistical difficulties and reinforces the community’s dependence on intermediaries.
ASOAGROPAT’s ambition is to transform the association into a formal company, improve its own marketing facilities and reduce the need to sell the entire crop to collectors.
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In the longer term, its members hope to explore export opportunities, particularly in the United States. However, Salcedo Martínez recognises that the organisation must first strengthen its irrigation and commercial infrastructure.
Colombia currently has a limited presence in the international papaya market compared with origins such as Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru and Mexico, but the association believes there is scope to develop.
Research supports local innovation
ASOAGROPAT participates in the SASi initiative, involving CIRAD, Agrosavia, ICRA and FAO. The project helps producer organisations exchange knowledge, identify innovations and develop more sustainable food systems.
For the community in Los Montes de María, the initiative has provided opportunities to connect with other organisations, share experiences and, in some cases, cooperate in the marketing of products.
Research activities are also supporting the preservation of native creole seeds, the search for more profitable markets and the conservation of the region’s fragile tropical dry forest.
The association is additionally working on certification and agroindustrial projects designed to create higher-value products and improve household incomes.
Organic production, solidarity and equal participation among members are central to its operating model.
Women lead the rebuilding process
ASOAGROPAT has developed primarily as a women-led organisation. Its members are using agriculture not only to generate income, but also to strengthen their voice within the community and demonstrate what the territory is capable of producing.
The association is also working to encourage younger generations to remain in, or return to, the region. Many young people left during the conflict and remain reluctant to come back, making generational renewal a persistent concern.
For Salcedo Martínez, papaya has given Nueva Pativaca a visibility and identity that it previously lacked.
“It has been a blessing for the community,” she says. “We are rebuilding the social fabric, rebuilding our territory and rebuilding ourselves. That is our dream.”
