Looking for a dream: understanding the transition from illegal to legal agri-food systems in Colombia from a youth perspective

In coca production areas in Colombia what gives families income in the present, also fuels drug trafficking and breaks food systems and communities’ networks. The Colombian government has tried to implement alternative development agricultural systems, yet in 30 years these have not worked, and more young rural men and women join coca production. My research goal is to build evidence for policymaking and provide key policy recommendations to favor territorial transformation under a sustainable development framework. My rationale is that the territorial areas and rural communities in areas where coca is produced can implement context specific and appropriated projects that favor food security, environmental sustainability, and peacebuilding. My research build on the Economic Geography as the main theoretical body of the conceptual framework. This will be complemented with intersectional analysis, the institutional work perspective, and the life trajectory concept as categories for analysis. Funding: Arrell Food Institute and Ontario Agriculture Colleg