Demystifying biofortified beans: experiences with international scientists and communities from the Caribbean region of Colombia

Abstract

The research about biofortified beans for the Caribbean region of Colombia relates signals of cultural appropriation and of autonomous dynamics in which small businesses of grains selected and packed for direct-to- consumer sale have been documented. Nevertheless, the articulation with ethnic groups for these varieties has not been consolidated due to both the necessity of an agroecological productive model, which is not available yet, and the necessity of a new biofortified variety adapted to plain and dry areas. Regarding this, it is pretended to document the range of biofortified beans. In this way, it will be possible to demystify some assumptions made by scientists that belong to the agri-food sector to favor the articulation of actors interested in this topic. At the same time, it will be possible to take advantage of all that has been learned in eleven years of research and transference, as a critical way for the participation and spread of a new variety of bean of heat and drought for ethnicities from the Caribbean region.