El objetivo central es analizar las narrativas que vinculan a las juventudes rurales con la digitalización para establecer políticas que mitiguen las brechas de desigualdad en los sistemas agroalimentarios. La metodología integra una revisión de literatura técnica de los últimos cinco años, entrevistas a actores clave del sector Agtech y observaciones directas de foros regionales de innovación. Los resultados revelan que, si bien los jóvenes poseen mayor disposición tecnológica, enfrentan barreras críticas como la falta de conectividad significativa, el acceso limitado a la tierra y marcadas brechas de género en el desarrollo de software. En conclusión, la digitalización actual tiende a favorecer a actores urbanos masculinos, por lo que resulta imperativo transitar hacia una integración intergeneracional activa que garantice la participación decisoria de la juventud rural y el acceso a recursos productivos.

Disponible aquí: https://repositorio.iica.int/items/5b12bf7e-fc53-4a9c-9408-448e276f2bf4

Published in the Journal of Rural Studies, this article explores how rural youth in a remote Colombian community navigate their aspirations and life-course decisions in a context shaped by armed conflict and the coexistence of licit and illicit economies. Using a participatory photovoice approach and an intersectional lens, the study shows how young people’s hopes for education, stability, and community engagement are constrained by structural inequalities, often resulting in survival-oriented rather than transformative aspirations. Available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016725003857

Enhancing Biodiversity and Ecosystems Through Innovation in Agriculture (2025) — A Food from Thought research report showcasing how innovation in agriculture can protect biodiversity and strengthen ecosystem resilience across Canada.

Available here: https://foodfromthought.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Enhancing-Biodiversity-and-Ecosystems-Through-Innovation-in-Agriculture-Report.pdf

My dissertation examines how rural youth in La India, Colombia imagine and navigate their futures within a context marked by inequality, armed conflict, and limited opportunities. Using participatory methods like photovoice and mapping with 36 young people, this research shows that rural youth are active decision-makers who adapt, dream, and resist despite structural barriers. The findings highlight their resilience and call for policies that recognize and support their own visions for change.

Available here: https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/items/46d5b9e3-1ad3-409a-9e55-f2e2e39b534c

Fontecha, M., & Sarapura, S. (2023). Looking for a Dream: understanding rural youth life trajectories in Colombia. New York: International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD).

Retrieved from https://ic-sd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ICSD-2023_stage-5590_question-Paper-Submission_id-536.pdf

Sarapura, S., Cupolo, N., Fontecha, M., Potter, C., & Zink, R. (2023). Invisible and precarious: A scoping review of gender-based violence in agricultural streams of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. University of Guelph. Guelph: Invisible and precarious: A scoping review of gender-based violence in agricultural streams of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Retrieved from https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/items/8a1eb08c-0654-456b-8ea8-d7570b6aae3f

Lema, L., Hermelín, D., Fontecha-Tirado, M. M., & DuniaH.Urrego. (2018). Climate Change Communication in Colombia. Climate science. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.598

Fontecha, M., & Walker, J. (2022). Transitions to a sustainable agri-food system: Making rural youth visible and heard in illicit economies. International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). Retrieved from https://idpc.net/publications/2022/08/transitions-to-a-sustainable-agri-food-system-making-rural-youth-visible-and-heard-in-illicit-economies

Fontecha-Tirado, M. M. (2018). Building Trust and Collaborating with Others: Challenges for A Sustainable Peace in Caquetá, Colombia. Consilience: The journal of Sustainable Development, 19(1), 163-183. doi: https://doi.org/10.7916/consilience.v0i19.3897

RBC, BCG Centre for Canada’s Future and Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. (2022). The Next Green Revolution: How Canada can produce more food and fewer emissions. Ottawa: RBC. Retrieved from https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/the-next-green-revolution-how-canada-can-produce-more-food-and-fewer-emissions/

Fontecha, M., & Sarapura, S. (2024). Informe de evaluación del proyecto ´Removiendo barreras para la incorporación, retención y avance de las mujeres en campos stem hacia la industria verde’. Evaluación externa realizada por la Universidad de Guelph (Canadá). Guelph: University of Guelph. URL: https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/items/21340f68-e114-40c5-9bc5-8f94134c2caf