ENTRE LA EXPERIENCIA Y LA TÉCNICA: FRICCIONES Y POSIBILIDADES DE APRENDIZAJE EN CAFICULTORES MINIFUNDISTAS DE MÉXICO Y COLOMBIA

BETWEEN EXPERIENCE AND TECHNIQUE: FRICTIONS AND LEARNING POSSIBILITIES IN SMALL-SCALE COFFEE FARMERS IN MEXICO AND COLOMBIA

Abstract

Coffee growing represents a relevant activity both in economic and social terms in Mexico and Colombia. Despite their value in production and job creation, coffee farmers face various challenges such as high production costs, price fluctuations, limited access to formal and non-formal education opportunities, low adoption of technology and discrepancies. between knowledge based on experience and technical-scientific knowledge. This research was carried out to investigate the frictions between experiential knowledge and technical-scientific knowledge, as well as learning styles in two coffee-growing populations in Mexico and Colombia. To achieve this, a qualitative methodology was applied based on a participatory design, through semi-structured interviews. Through thematic analysis, conflicts and differences between coffee growers and the technical personnel that assist them were identified. These disagreements include discrepancies in the recommendations for the plots, as well as divergences in the planning of activities. In addition, a lack of clarity was evident in the learning content provided, a certain distrust towards technical knowledge and the perception of an approach focused on productivity indicators. These findings raise the need to promote a collaborative approach to encourage the participation of coffee growers in the design of technical assistance programs. It is recommended to adapt the learning contents to the contextualized needs of producers, encourage the development of communication skills in technical personnel and diversify the indicators used to evaluate performance in coffee growing.