‘Peasants with rights, an Amazon with a future’ are among the slogans on banners at a public hearing of the Peasant Reserve Zone “’Guardiana del Chiribiquete’ on 25 October 2025. Photo: CEALDES
New land rights agreement in Colombia recognizes rural communities as guardians of vulnerable ecosystems
(LWI) - Colombian farmers in Calamar, in the Amazon region of Guaviare, are celebrating an unprecedented agreement which recognizes the territorial rights of over four thousand local women and men, organized across 26 rural communities. Under the agreement, peasant communities have gained formal recognition of their territory within a protected forest reserve area for the first time in Colombia’s history, securing the rights of famers in the Serranía de Chiribiquete National Natural Park, one of the most biodiverse regions in Colombia, but also one of the most vulnerable to deforestation.
The creation of the so-called Peasant Reserve Zone (PRZ) ‘Guardiana del Chiribiquete’ is the result of more than six years of community-led dialogue involving broad participation of local grassroots organizations and community action boards.
Since 2022, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), together with the Center for Alternatives for Development (CEALDES), has been accompanying the process, providing technical support and facilitating spaces for dialogue.
We will continue our commitment to processes that promote territorial justice, sustainability, and peace with a rural focus
Golda Ibarra, Country Representative for LWF’s Colombia-Venezuela program
“This achievement reinforces our conviction that territorial solutions must be built from within communities themselves, with respect for their ways of life, traditional knowledge, and their key role as guardians of vulnerable ecosystems,” said Golda Ibarra, Country Representative for LWF’s Colombia-Venezuela program. “We will continue our commitment to processes that promote territorial justice, sustainability, and peace with a rural focus, honoring the trust of the peasant communities who led this collective effort for life and the protection of the Amazon.”
Peasant Reserve Zones were first established in 1994 as part of a national agrarian reform process aimed at restricting the buying of large landholdings and promoting small family farms. As a method of encouraging better planning of land-use to bring about social and environmental benefits, they empower communities to collectively design their own development.
Participants at a public hearing of the Peasant Reserve Zone ‘Guardiana del Chiribiquete’ to discuss the Sustainable Development Plan in October 2025. Photo: CEALDES.
Participants listen attentively at a public hearing of the Peasant Reserve Zone ‘Guardiana del Chiribiquete’ to discuss the Sustainable Development Plan in October 2025. Photo: CEALDES.
Local farmers and their families attend a public hearing of the Peasant Reserve Zone ‘Guardiana del Chiribiquete’ to discuss the Sustainable Development Plan in October 2025. Photo: CEALDES.
This latest “Guardiana del Chiribiquete” agreement, signed in November 2025, goes one step further by implementing a model that brings together social justice and environmental protection, demonstrating that organization by local farmers is key to curbing deforestation. The PRZ’s Sustainable Development Plan will focus on promoting sustainable productive practices, ensuring livelihoods for the population while safeguarding the natural environment.
Chiribiquete National Natural Park, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest national park in Colombia and the largest tropical rainforest national park in the world. It covers about 43,000 square kilometers and includes the Serranía de Chiribiquete mountains and surrounding lowlands. Together, they contain a vast collection of ancient rock art and an exceptional biodiversity, with many endangered species including jaguars, monkeys, giant otters and giant anteaters.
