La pérdida de alimentos a lo largo de la cadena de suministro se ha convertido en un tema de gran interés en el mundo, debido a que afecta la seguridad alimentaria de la sociedad. Uno de estos eslabones de la cadena de distribución de alimentos son las centrales de abasto local, donde diariamente se pierden importantes cantidades de alimentos especialmente por carencia de protocolos de poscosecha. El objetivo del presente estudio consistió en analizar la pérdida de alimentos en la central de abastos del municipio de Acacias, Colombia y evaluar el sistema de compostaje como alternativa de gestión ambiental. Se realizó mediante el método de cuarteo la estimación de la cantidad y tipo de residuos desperdiciados, que posteriormente se sometieron al proceso de compostaje donde se evaluó la calidad del producto. En conclusión, los residuos orgánicos son un problema ambiental que requiere de alternativas como el compostaje, que permite reducir la cantidad y aprovechar el contenido nutricional de la fracción orgánica, generando subproductos con alto valor agregado.

The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs) establish the need to guarantee quality water for all people. In numerous rural settlements of Colombia, access to clean drinking water is a formidable challenge as frequently observed when waterborne diseases arise, mainly in vulnerable populations without basic sanitation systems. The main objective of this study was to assess the quality and potential use of groundwater sampled from 17 monitored wells in a typical rural settlement in Colombia. Water quality was determined by applying a quality index and performing a principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the weights of each parameter. The results of the Phosphorus, Nitrates, Thermotolerant coliforms and pH variables exceeded regulatory limits, mainly in areas affected by anthropogenic sources with an insufficient sewage network. Coliform population and NO₃ exceeded World Health Organization recommended thresholds for drinking water. Therefore, the qualities of the studied water samples were unsuitable for human consumption without prior adequate treatment and, hence, one recommendation is to regulate groundwater monitoring quality. In addition, unhealthy waste disposal practices should be abolished, while permanently controlled modern techniques should be introduced.

Rainwater harvesting is a popular artisanal method that provides substantial economic advantages and effectively addresses the issue of water scarcity in many parts of Colombia. This method may not be appropriate from a public health standpoint in every instance. Despite Colombia’s ample precipitation, ensuring a stable water supply is problematic, particularly due to the dramatic fluctuations in weather patterns, such as droughts and severe rainy seasons, which affect the dependability of the water delivery system. This study examines the urban region of Villavicencio with two main objectives: (I) to assess the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of rainwater in the municipality’s residential and commercial sectors; and (II) to analyze the spatial distribution of physico-chemical parameters within the study area. The quality and spatial distribution of rainwater resources in the urban catchment region of Villavicencio were evaluated through the analysis of data obtained from several sampling locations.

Agricultural soils may become polluted by heavy metals as a result of receiving a significant amount of pollutants from different sources of land applications, such as fertilizers, animal manure, sewage sludge, pesticides, and wastewater irrigation. Given that information on the distribution of heavy metals (HMs) in the Piedemonte Llanero of Colombia is still quite limited, the main objectives of this work were to characterize the content of these elements and their potential pollution level in acidic soils under different agricultural systems. The hypothesis is to verify if the type of land use poses an environmental threat. To achieve these goals, the concentrations of seven metals were determined in the soils of three agricultural production systems: oil palm, pastures, and semi-annual crops. Soil contamination was evaluated based on the Geo-Accumulation Index (I-geo), contamination factor (CF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), and Nemerov Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI). One outstanding result was that the average concentrations of HMs in the collected topsoil samples were as follows: Mn (110.5 mg kg-1), Zn (31.93 mg kg-1), Cr (8.85 mg kg-1), Ni (11.68 mg kg-1), Cu (11.28 mg kg-1), Pb (9.42 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.21 mg kg-1). The results obtained from this study provide an estimation of the pollution status of HMs. Agricultural activities, especially the overuse of phosphate fertilizer, were the main source of nutrients across the study area. This information can become a fundamental tool to establish monitoring and follow-up processes for sustainable soil management in the Piedemonte Llanero. In conclusion, the present study highlights and provides specific information in a hyperhumid environment.

La palma de moriche (Mauritia flexuosa L.F) es un recurso natural que ofrece una importante gama de recursos, como alimentos y fibras que permiten a las comunidades locales aprovecharlas y así tener ingresos económicos y bienestar para sus familias, como lo vienen realizando los pobladores Sikuani que hacen parte de las comunidades que integran el resguardo Wacoyo, que poseen uno de los morichales mejor conservados del municipio de Puerto Gaitán - Meta. El objetivo de este estudio está encaminado a conocer los métodos de aprovechamiento, usos y productos que se obtienen de la palma de moriche por parte de las comunidades del pueblo Sikuany que habitan en el resguardo. Entre los resultados se encontró que a partir del uso de hojas, cogollos y frutos, estas comunidades obtienen materia prima para la elaboración de artesanías y bebida fermentada. Las formas de aprovechamiento tiene bajo impacto en el sistema natural, debido a que permiten que la planta tengo periodos de tiempo para que se recupere. Finalmente se concluye que los habitantes del pueblo Sikuani buscan resguardar los morichales a partir de sus conocimientos ancestrales en el uso y manejo de este tipo de recursos.Palabras clave: Artesanías; Moriche; Resguardo Wacoyo; Fibras naturales.