Editorial

From the competitiveness point of view, the present situation of agricultural production systems in Colombia has not changed significantly in the past three decades. Our production systems, characterized by low levels of production efficiency, are due among other factors, to low levels of technology adoption, absence of quality criteria in the primary sector, lack of productivity and competitiveness indicators, and production systems managed with limited business approach; and especially in the last decade, limited research and linking technologies.

The expression of the imbalance between knowledge generation and its adoption may have contributed to the social unrest recently evidenced in the country's rural areas.

In an increasingly globalized world (mediated by TLCs) this scenario, urgently requires us to access the innovation pathway to lead us to the desired competitiveness, and sustainability, but also to improve the quality of life of the different actors living in rural areas. Time is ripe to apply the useful scientific knowledge already generated by the different institutions of the Colombian National System of Agroindustrial Technology (Sistema Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroindustrial), in order to launch the technological revolution to allow our productive systems to generate the products demanded by contemporary societies in the areas of food quality and safety, animal welfare, environmental preservation, and food security, among others.

To enter the technological development highway (qualitative leap) in our agricultural production systems requires the recuperation and strengthening of key elements of agricultural development in Colombia, abandoned or weakened in the last decade, such as technology transfer (technological offer and linkages). The technical assistants have been identified as the key facilitators involved in technology transfer. They are the agronomists, veterinarians, animal scientists, and professionals of other disciplines, who will be called to become true agents of change.

This requires the support from all academic and technical agencies to assist in the training of professionals who must have the sufficient capacity to undertake the systemic approach required to meet the complex reality of our agricultural production systems. Systems improvement depends on the proper interaction of its components to achieve maximum synergy and the best expression of natural resources, and where the inherent variability present in all living systems becomes evident. Because of our inherent geographical variability, no single recipe can solve the different problems of our production systems; thus, the importance and need of continuous research on the different production processes in the field.

To overcome this transition, Corpoica has been empowering the trans disciplinary approach in its research proposals and technological linkages to help generate the technological leap required of our production systems.

To contribute to this challenge, in this volume, Corpoica offers research results that support the development of efficient and competitive production systems. Some of them are oriented to the export process, integrated pest management, quality and production, which are important demands in today's society.

Finally, and in the context of rural Colombia, an invitation to generate and appropriate changes regarding the way we work in agricultural systems. The origin of the word tradition (Latin verb tradere = transmit, deliver), invites us to include the changes in favor of something better for the Colombian agricultural sector.

Fredy Enrique García Castro
Director
Revista Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria