Household Survey for Evaluation of Market Access and Food Security Project in Colombia, 2014

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Household Survey for Evaluation of Market Access and Food Security Project in Colombia, 2014 data were collected by Oxfam GB as part of the organisation's Global Performance Framework. Under this framework, a small number of completed or mature projects are selected at random each year for an evaluation of their impact, known as an Effectiveness Review. These data were used to evaluate the impact of the 'Market Access and Food Security in the Central Region of Colombia' project, which began in the surveyed regions between 2007 and 2009. Four local partner organisations began the project as an initiative to increase market access and income among smallholder producers in the Central Region of Colombia. In 2007, the project launched regularly organised farmers' markets in Bogota, which are attended by rural producers from municipalities around the Central Region. Around half of the participants are women. At the municipal level, project partners formed local organisations (comites de comercializacion de mercados campesinos) to promote the farmers' markets among producers in their area. A 'mayorista' marketing channel was also established under the project, where produce is sold in wholesale markets and directly to retailers in Bogota. One key aim of the project is to enable producers to realize higher prices when selling their products, by establishing 'fair prices' for and training in marketing and negotiating skills. Another objective of the project was to encourage awareness among rural producers of political issues affecting their lives, and to provide a means for participation in advocacy and collective action. Data collection for the project evaluation took place in 2014, in 13 municipalities, with a total of 157 participant households. 330 households served as a control. The evaluation adopted a quasi-experimental approach, using recall data from 2007 to ensure a matched baseline between participant and non-participant groups. Anonymisation: Names of departments, municipalities, and communities have been removed and replaced with codes in random order. The following variables have been recoded so as to prevent unique cases that may allow identification of the respondents: household size (capped at 10 members), age (binned in 5-year intervals), size of house (capped at 6+ rooms), and the material of house walls and floor (combined categories). Main Topics:Access to farmers' markets for rural farmers; political advocacy for smallholder farmers