Percepciones sobre el desarrollo rural entre campesinos y ejecutores de políticas en la provincia del tequendama (cundinamarca, colombia)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the perceptions of rural developmentbetween farmers who are part of the Nuclei of RuralEntrepreneurs in the Tequendama Province of the departmentof Cundinamarca (Colombia), as well as between public andprivate personnel who execute rural policies in this region. Theresults show that among respondents there is confusion betweenthe concept of rural development and agrarian development,given their answers are oriented to privileging productivity,modernization, and technology aspects, above those who placethe inhabitants of the rural sector as first. This confusion couldbe explained in that during the 1950s it was thought that ruraldevelopment had to be oriented toward issues that claim therural sector economic activity, regardless of its inhabitants andtheir cultural aspects, values and dignity. This aspect shows theneed to reassess the meaning of the rural environment and itsimportance for the nation’s development.