Coffee municipalities: a differential perspective from the territorial development

Abstract

Understanding the spatial expression of coffee crops provides relevant inputs for the analysis of territorial development. This is due to the fact that the extension of such crops is still significant in several regions. Throughout this article it is shown that traditional and emerging coffee territories have significant differences in terms of development of specific activities associated with coffee production as well as with the specificities of each territory: development environment, degree of rurality and the result of different socio-economic indicators; it was evidenced through the gap analysis. This territorial characterization study was made from different methodologies designed by the Departamento Nacional de Planeación. This study provides tools in order to ameliorate the design, the focalization and the implementation of sector and public policies so that coffee farmers can improve their quality of life.