The impact of agricultural credit on the cattle inventory in Colombia: a spatial analysis

The relationship between access to credit, agricultural production/productivity, and deforestation represents clear challenges for sustainable development (i.e., the elimination of poverty, reduction of inequalities, increase of food security and stimulation of economic growth) and has been widely documented. The precise impacts access to credit has on cattle production levels and deforestation, however, have not yet been fully documented. The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of agricultural and livestock credit, among other variables, on cattle production (herd size) and annual deforestation rates in Colombia through spatial panel data models. For this purpose, we consolidated a departmental data panel for the period 2011 to 2020, based on information provided by several public entities. Our results suggest that, in Colombia, the relationship between access to credit and cattle production is significant and, depending on whether the total quantity of credits disbursed, or their amount are considered, can be either negative or positive. In addition, there exists evidence of spatial dependence, meaning that cattle production in a specific department is being affected by cattle production in a neighbouring department or by all the departments that make up the national territory. Regarding deforestation, we found that, although the number of cattle present in a department does affect its annual deforestation rate due to a poor coverage of intensive cattle ranching, there is no relationship between deforestation and the access to credit nor any spatial correlations. Based on the results, we provide recommendations for stakeholders that can help in the design of instruments for expanding the access to credit, improving cattle production and productivity, and fomenting sustainable production practices

COVID-19 and beef consumption in Colombia: Effects on consumer preferences and beliefs

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought impacts on the food system in several ways, such as on the supply and demand of food or changes in consumer preferences. The effects on consumer preferences are directly resulting from changes in people’s daily lives and living conditions. Households challenge income reductions and, in turn, change their food consumption decisions, causing e.g., substitution effects or panic buying behaviour. However, little is known yet about the magnitude of these effects but needs to be analysed to define actions and policies for crisis mitigation and achieving food system resilience and food security. In this study, we estimate the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on changes in food consumer preferences in Colombia, applying a logit model approach for seven attributes, namely animal welfare, environmental sustainability, information on the origin and manufacturing of food, food appearance, food price, fair payment to the producer, and food packaging. In addition, we provide an analysis of changes in beef consumption during the lockdown since the beef industry is among Colombia’s most important agricultural activities and is heavily affected by substitution effects. Data was obtained in July 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia, through a virtual survey with 581 food consumers in the four major cities Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla. Our results show that consumer beliefs regarding these attributes remained mostly stable, but that income is a determining factor for the decision to consume certain types of food, such as beef, rather than for possible changes in beliefs. This means that income ends up being decisive for the consumption of food such as beef and that, for its part, it does not have a greater weight in the change of beliefs of the people surveyed. The results will help the food system actors in defining interventions for achieving food security and resilience

COVID-19 and household food waste in Colombia: The effects of the strict lockdown in 2020

Household food waste represents one of the main challenges for sustainable development as it directly affects the economy of food consumers, the loss of natural resources, and generates additional greenhouse gas emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic caused one of the most serious economic crises in recent decades and could become the worst economic crisis that Latin America has had in its history. The objective of this study is to analyse changes in food waste behaviour during the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia, applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). For this purpose, we conducted a virtual survey with 581 Colombian food consumers from the four major cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla), which examined the influence of intentions to not waste food, subjective norms, some situational predictors, questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the control of perceived behaviour on food waste. The results suggest that the TPB can predict the intention to not waste food and, through it, the actual household food waste behaviour, considering the lockdown in Colombia as an external shock. We observe that regarding the intention to not waste food, the most relevant variables are attitudes, subjective norms, control of the perceived behaviour, and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. These variables increase the probability on average by a 0.8 Odds Ratio that the intention not to waste food increases, too. Regarding food waste behaviour, whether it is considered ordinal or nominal, we see that the most relevant variables are intention, financial attitudes, and control of perceived behaviour, doubling the probability that food waste behaviour will improve. Although these personal considerations about household food waste are relevant predictors, the differential factor between the willingness to not to waste food and effectively not doing it lies in the economic conditions of the households, highlighting the need for strategies aimed at reducing household food waste that consider the different existing income and food expenditure levels, and, above all, reductions caused by the pandemic. Additionally, fear and concern about COVID-19 are also significant predictors, highlighting the need of accurate communication strategies regarding the pandemic and its impacts on society

COVID-19 and the beef market in Latin America: An impact assessment by supply and demand

The impact of COVID-19 on agricultural markets, especially the beef market, represents one of the greatest food security challenges the world is facing in the post-pandemic era and, for this reason, has been widely documented. This study contributes to the literature through a comprehensive impact analysis of the effects of COVID-19 on both the demand and supply of beef in Latin America and thus provides valuable information for two of the most important links of the beef value chain. Robust econometric methods and a graphic analysis were used that give solidity to the investigation. The analysis used a data panel of supply and demand variables between 2018 and 2022 derived from the US Department of Agriculture. The results suggest that the beef market was strongly affected by the pandemic related health emergency, presenting decreases in both consumption and production. These effects are transitory, however, since the analysis of the post-pandemic data revealed that consumption and production return to normal and seem to grow until smoothing out over time

Informe de gestión 2017-2020

Este documento reseña la gestión del Banco de la República entre 2017 y 2020, un período durante el cual el Banco logró consolidar una inflación baja y estable, con tasas de crecimiento cada vez más cercanas al potencial. A partir de marzo de 2020 se adoptaron políticas novedosas que lograron evitar una crisis profunda en medio de la pandemia del Coronavirus, un choque de enormes dimensiones para la humanidad. De otra parte, se tomaron medidas importantes tendientes a fortalecer la Administración del Banco, con un mayor control de los recursos financieros destinados a los distintos objetivos del Plan de Desarrollo. El Banco continúa siendo la institución estatal independiente que genera mayor confianza entre los colombianos por su transparencia, su ajuste a exigentes metas de resultados macroeconómicos y empresariales, y por el cumplimiento efectivo de las funciones de banca central y culturales encomendadas por la Constitución y la ley. RESUMEN EJECUTIVO La economía colombiana enfrentó en los últimos cuatro años algunos de los eventos que mayor impacto han tenido sobre su desempeño en más de un siglo. El precio internacional del petróleo cayó a menos de la tercera parte entre junio de 2014 y enero de 2016 y, nuevamente, entre septiembre de 2018 y abril de 2020; se presentaron frecuentes choques en el precio local de los alimentos, y la pandemia reciente ocasionó uno de los mayores desastres que ha padecido la humanidad en su historia. El Banco de la República (Banrep), sus directivos y empleados tuvieron que responder rápidamente a las nuevas circunstancias, un proceso que ha implicado grandes cambios en la forma como se han ejecutado y cumplido las funciones de la banca central y las del área cultural a cargo de la organización. De otra parte, el Plan Estratégico 2017-2021 sentó las bases para el nuevo programa de modernización del Banco, y en el presente Informe de gestión 2017-2020 se describen y analizan los retos enfrentados en el período y la forma en que se adaptó y modernizó la institución para hacerles frente. También se mencionan los principales desafíos que se avizoran hacia el futuro, con el fin de contribuir al diseño de los planes de la administración entrante. En este Resumen ejecutivo se presenta una síntesis del documento completo. En la sección II se hace un recuento de la situación económica de Colombia y el mundo en el cuatrienio reciente, y las medidas de política adoptadas por la Junta Directiva del Banco de la República (JDBR) para mantener la inflación baja y estable y contribuir a la recuperación del crecimiento de la economía. En la sección III se registran los avances y logros en los temas estratégicos del Plan Estratégico 2017-2021. En particular, se mencionan la política monetaria y de estabilidad financiera, la política cambiaria, la política de pagos, y otros temas relacionados con la eficiencia y eficacia en el Plan. La sección IV está dedicada a la gestión cultural, y en la sección V se describe la evolución de los temas de apoyo táctico para el logro de los objetivos del Plan: capital humano y cultura organizacional, tecnología e infraestructura; se incluye, además, un resumen de los avances en materia ambiental. En la sección VI se presentan los principales elementos de la respuesta del Banco ante la emergencia sanitaria del COVID-19. En la sección VII se describe el manejo de las reservas internacionales y se analizan el presupuesto y las utilidades del Banco. En la sección VIII se enuncian algunos desafíos futuros

Violencia contra la mujer en la ciudad de Cali : principales factores protectores y de riesgo

PregradoECONOMIST

Posible relación entre la inteligencia emocional y el comportamiento prosocial

This article gathers the theoretical foundations of “prosocial” behavior and their emotional and cognitive components, which are within the concept of empathy. In addition the main features of emotional intelligence are presented, establishing as the main skill the emotion regulation. Finally it is concluded that there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and empathy, which is manifested in “prosocial” behavior. Given this conclusion makes clear that while this is argued from the conceptual side, interested people are invited to search for empirical evidence in order to give greater strength to the relationship between these two constructs.El presente artículo recoge los fundamentos teóricos de la prosocialidad y sus componentes emocionales y cognitivos, los cuales están enmarcados en el concepto de empatía. Además se presentan las características principales de la inteligencia emocional, estableciendo como principal habilidad la regulación de las emociones. Finalmente se concluye que existe una relación positiva entre inteligencia emocional y empatía, lo cual se manifiesta en los comportamientos prosociales. Ante esta conclusión, se deja claro que, si bien está argumentada desde lo conceptual, se invita a quienes están interesados en el tema, a la búsqueda de evidencias empíricas que den mayor solidez a la relación de estos dos constructos

Libro de Proyectos Finales 2021 primer semestre

PregradoIngeniero CivilIngeniero de SistemasIngeniero ElectricistaIngeniero ElectrónicoIngeniero IndustrialIngeniero Mecánic