Fanor Sthieven Aguirre Melo, a young farmer from Calamar, Guaviare, shared at the 12th FOSPA the experiences of rural communities seeking to transform their production models and remain in their territory without neglecting the care of our Common Home.
At 23 years old, Fanor Sthieven Aguirre Melo holds a firm conviction: the future of the Amazon also depends on young people being able to remain in rural areas, produce food, and find economic alternatives that allow them to live with dignity without destroying the forests.
A native of the municipality of Calamar, in the Colombian department of Guaviare, Fanor is a member of the Peasant Workers’ Association of the Unilla and Itilla River Region (ASCATRUI), located in a peasant reserve area. A graduate in agricultural production and a student of animal science, he also participates in sustainable and agroecological development initiatives such as Másecocampo, which aim to promote productive alternatives for rural communities.
During the 12th Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA), held in Puyo, Ecuador, from August 16 to 21, 2026, he shared his experiences, concerns, and commitment to an Amazon where smallholder farming can coexist with the protection of ecosystems with the communications team of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA).
From FOSPA to the Field: Learning to Transform
For Fanor, participating in FOSPA provided an opportunity to learn about experiences from other Amazonian regions and return to Colombia with new tools to strengthen peasant farming initiatives.
“We’re leaving with high hopes and an open mind, ready to bring these proposals back to our region,” he explained.
Among the lessons he highlighted were seed exchange, organic fertilizer production, agroecology, clean production, and various initiatives focused on caring for the Amazon and our Common Home.
His goal is precisely to turn this knowledge into concrete practices within the communities.
“We have to bring this new knowledge, these new tools,” to the producers, he stated.
Transforming Livestock Farming to Protect the Territory
One of the main challenges he identifies in Calamar is extensive livestock farming—a production model that requires large tracts of land and can exert significant pressure on Amazonian ecosystems.
Faced with this reality, Fanor believes it is necessary to move toward processes of livestock reconversion and more efficient and sustainable production systems.
“We cannot continue with that same system of extensive cattle ranching, with vast expanses of pasture,” he noted.
His proposal aims to optimize land use through regenerative livestock practices, improve animal management, and reduce the need to expand areas designated for pasture.
For him, this is one of the major challenges facing Guaviare today—and, more broadly, the rural communities of the Colombian Amazon: producing without the expansion of the agricultural frontier necessarily leading to the destruction of forests.
Diversify to Survive
The alternative Fanor promotes goes beyond simply transforming livestock farming. He also advocates for diversifying the productive activities of rural families.
Starting with small-scale production units, he explains, it is possible to develop different lines of production: poultry, quail for eggs, rabbits, goats, and other initiatives that generate income and reduce dependence on extensive livestock farming.
“There are new lines of production, and this allows us to ease the pressure on the forests,” he explained.
This diversification also extends to crops. Fanor proposes moving beyond the logic of monoculture and toward crop rotations that ensure food for families while simultaneously generating surpluses for the market.
“We must have a broad spectrum of crops—a crop rotation—where we can grow at least the basics for household consumption, but also produce added value or a market outlet,” he noted.
All of this is approached from the perspective of organic and agroecological production.
Small Farmers and Indigenous Peoples: Sharing the Land and Caring for Our Common Home
Another challenge identified by Fanor is the need to strengthen dialogue between small farming communities and indigenous peoples in the Colombian Amazon.
From Calamar, he explains, coordination efforts have been developed to recognize the unique characteristics of each community and prevent conflicts arising from differing land tenure arrangements.
“We all have a right to territory; we’re all there, and just as we have rights, we have duties to care for it and manage it properly,” he affirmed.
This perspective highlights the need to build relationships of coexistence and cooperation between small farmers and Indigenous peoples, recognizing that both groups are part of a complex territorial reality and share a fundamental responsibility: caring for our Common Home.
“Don’t lose heart”: a message from a young small farmer
One of Fanor’s most powerful messages is directed at other young people living in rural areas of the Amazon.
He acknowledges that staying in the countryside is not easy. The lack of opportunities and support can lead many young people to consider migrating to the cities.
“On several occasions, I’ve thought about throwing in the towel, because sometimes there’s no support,” he confessed.
However, his own experience has led him to discover that the countryside offers possibilities that go far beyond the romanticized idea of a farm as a place of rest.
“A farm means production, challenges, setbacks—many things that can discourage you—but they also bring satisfaction and productivity,” he said.
That is why he urges young people not to abandon the countryside.
“We have to produce food for the people in the cities,” he affirmed, noting that food security in urban centers depends directly on the work of those who remain in the countryside.
For Fanor, however, rural residency requires public policies, technical support, training, and economic opportunities that allow new generations to build dignified lives in their own territories.
The Peace of Living in the Countryside
What has led him to remain in Guaviare despite the difficulties?
His answer is deeply linked to his daily connection with the countryside.
“Mainly, the peace and tranquility that the countryside gives us,” he explained.
For him, living in the countryside also means experiencing community bonds that are hard to find in big cities.
“Any neighbor in the region can offer us a glass of lemonade,” he said, as a simple expression of a way of life based on solidarity and sharing.
Added to this are the fresh air, the landscapes, and the natural surroundings which, from his perspective, create a sense of tranquility that has become one of the fundamental reasons for continuing to commit to rural life.
A Church That Walks Alongside Communities in the Region
Fanor also highlighted the role of the Catholic Church and, in particular, the Social Ministry—Caritas Colombia—in supporting rural communities in Guaviare.
His involvement with these efforts began about three years ago, and since then, he has participated in various training and coordination initiatives, including FOSPA.
In their experience, one of the main strengths of the Church’s support is that it is rooted in a direct understanding of local realities.
“They go into the field and observe the realities on the ground,” they stated.
They particularly emphasized that this support does not seek to impose predetermined solutions but rather to establish a dialogue with communities to identify their needs and develop appropriate responses.
“It’s not something they come to impose. They engage in dialogue, talk, exchange ideas, and provide support based on the farmers’ real needs,” he explained.
For Fanor, this type of support can directly help reduce pressure on forests by offering productive alternatives that generate income without permanently expanding areas dedicated to livestock farming.
“They provide new lines of production to launch new initiatives, and this can foster an alternative economy in these territories,” he noted.
For this reason, he expressed his gratitude to the Social Pastoral Ministry—Caritas Colombia and Caritas Guaviare—for their support and for creating spaces for gathering and training for young people and rural communities.
An Amazon Where Producing Also Means Caring
Fanor’s experience at the 12th FOSPA brings to the forefront a fundamental question for the future of the Amazon: How can we ensure that the communities living and working in the region can live with dignity without production meaning destruction?
Their answer lies in productive diversification, agroecology, the restructuring of livestock farming, training for young people, the strengthening of rural organizations, and ongoing dialogue among the various stakeholders living in the Amazon.
From Calamar, his commitment is clear: to demonstrate that the countryside can offer opportunities, that smallholder farming can be transformed, and that caring for our Common Home can also become an opportunity to build new economies.
At 23, Fanor represents a generation facing enormous challenges, but one that is also seeking new ways to remain in the region.
His message from Puyo is simple and powerful: do not abandon the countryside, strengthen the capacities of those who live there, and build alternatives so that producing food and caring for the Amazon are part of the same life project.