Department of Bolivar, Colombia
Challenge
Bolivar, a region with immense agricultural potential, grapples with substantial post-harvest losses and high transportation expenses, hindering not only its domestic productivity but also its ability to export agricultural goods effectively. Despite its fertile ground and strategic location, the agricultural sector faces barriers that impede both domestic and international market access, limiting its economic growth and trade opportunities.
Contribution
STIG’s solution involves a hub-and-spoke model, requiring government investment in improved infrastructure. Agroparks, cold storage facilities, and trading centers form economic hubs, creating the necessary volume for efficient connections to domestic and international markets, including Cartagena and Barranquilla seaports. Collaboration between the government and the private sector is crucial to establish a quality system that enables Colombia to compete effectively in global trade.
Category
Development Strategy, Economic Zones, Management Services, Master Planning, Multimodal
The department of Bolivar boasts immense agricultural potential, situated at the heart of the expansive Diamante del Caribe region and spanning nearly the size of the Netherlands. It is traversed by two major rivers, the Rio Magdalena and the Cauca, offering a fertile ground for agricultural activities. This abundant resource holds great promise for producing agricultural goods, both for export and domestic consumption. However, the agricultural sector currently grapples with substantial post-harvest losses and steep transportation expenses, hindering its full potential.
In response, STIG has crafted a strategic solution founded on a hub-and-spoke model. The government’s investment in improved infrastructure is pivotal, but it hinges on achieving sufficient volume to justify these expenses. The creation of volume occurs within the hubs, where agroparks, cold storage facilities, and trading centers serve as the economic driving force for the connecting infrastructure. These hubs can thrive thanks to dependable, rapid connections linking production areas to key markets, both domestically (metropolises) and internationally (the seaports of Cartagena and Barranquilla).
Crucial for international trade is not solely the assurance of ample volume but also a robust quality guarantee. To this end, collaboration between the government and the private sector is imperative to establish a quality system that enables Colombia to compete effectively on the global stage.