Collaboration UDIT - Uniminuto de Dios (Colombia) in the fusion of "Art, biomaterials and ecological agriculture".

Doctoral student Elsa Gil Benito, member of the DESIRe research group, presented the Webinar "Art, biomaterials and regenerative agriculture" on 25 September at the University Uniminuto de Dios, Colombia, where she is doing a pre-doctoral stay of a month and a half.

With the support of Professor Jhon Jairo Monje, a complete itinerary was structured through different departments of the country (Cundinamarca, Huila, Meta and Boyacá), in order to learn in depth about regenerative agriculture processes and native handicrafts.

The 6-week experience allows to open the context of knowledge of agroecology applied to crops such as coffee, cocoa, panela, banana, or tuber. Associations such as Rivieras Coffee, Asorecreo and Workakao accompanied the doctoral student at every step to assess how design could intervene: from composting, fruit picking to processing and sale. The approach was to try to find points in the process where there was a loss of material in order to conceptualise a new product, material or system.

At the same time, there is fieldwork around the villages to find out which types of local crafts use organic waste or vegetable fibres to make utensils and objects of common use. For example, the Asociación de Artesanas Víctimas de Conflicto Armado de Gigante, Huila (Association of Artisan Victims of the Armed Conflict of Gigante, Huila) makes handbags from palm fabrics such as iraca, banana and fique, or decorations and jewellery from cocoa shells.

To complement the research, Uniminuto opened its doors to the doctoral student to organise two presentations: "Art, biomaterials and Ecological Agriculture" at the Villavicencio, Meta headquarters; and "Megadiverse Colombia - a view from Elsa's doctoral stay" at the Bogotá headquarters.