Factores determinantes de la productividad agroindustrial en Boyacá: Tecnología, clima y desigualdad territorial en perspectiva Nacional

Abstract

Colombian agricultural production is diverse but unequal, with high economic concentration in a few territories and a vulnerable export structure, particularly in Boyacá, where a high agricultural Gini index limits the sector’s competitiveness and sustainability.  The aim of this study was to analyze the determinants of the mechanization of agricultural production processes in Boyacá and its national comparison, addressing Colombia’s structural challenges of low productivity, territorial inequality, and sustainability concerns. Specifically, it sought to identify the extent to which agroecological conditions, socioeconomic inequality, and access to infrastructure and technology explain departmental agro-industrial performance, using agro-industrial GDP as the dependent variable. A mixed-methods design with an explanatory-sequential approach was implemented, combining quantitative ANCOVA and multiple regression models with a qualitative case study in Boyacá based on documentary analysis. The results indicate that agro-industrial mechanization is essential to increasing productivity, but its effectiveness is strongly mediated by territorial disparities and agroecological conditions. ANCOVA findings show that climate has a significant effect on agro-industrial GDP, with temperate and cold zones being the most productive. Multiple regression analysis reveals that internal inequality is positively associated with higher agro-industrial GDP, reflecting growth concentrated in poles with greater infrastructure and capital, while large areas remain lagging behind. In Boyacá, this pattern is evident in low mechanization levels and an agricultural Gini index of 0.96, which hinders inclusive development. The study concludes that mechanization should be conceived as a tool for sustainable and inclusive rural development. Overcoming structural barriers requires territorially focused policies, strengthened producer associations, expanded access to credit and training, and the adoption of clean and circular technologies that valorize agro-industrial residues.