News from ADAPTO

The research and implementation project entitled "Enhancing the resilience of alternative food systems in informal settings in Latin America and the Caribbean through bottom-up initiatives in the built environment” proposed by the Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Reconstruction Research Alliance (Œuvre Durable) is funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC).

News from project, key members and partners.

[+] Sustento at the FHL Conference in Montreal. April 2025

Researchers from the Sustento project —Gonzalo Lizarralde, Sara Latorre, Myriam Paredes, and Benjamin Herazo— participated as panelists at the Food, Health and Latin America Conference (FHL 2025), organized by CIENS and held in March in Montreal. During this interdisciplinary event, they presented findings on alternative food systems, food justice, and community resilience strategies in informal settlements across Latin America. Their participation highlighted the project’s ongoing commitment to academic and political dialogue around food sovereignty and climate change adaptation. More information about the event: FHL Conference

[+] SUSTENTO Article Published in Frontiers Journal (April 2025)

Our researchers have published the article "The Spaces in Between: An Actor Network Analysis of Alternative Food Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean" in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. The study examines how alternative food networks are justified and operate in low-income settlements, using Michel Callon's conceptual tools of "translation." Based on 340 interviews and 312 surveys in Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Chile, the study identifies social struggles, identities, and notions of time and space as key elements in stabilizing these food systems. The findings highlight the need to adapt urban policies and food programs to address the complexity of these "in-between spaces." Read the full article here.

[+] SUSTENTO Article Published in Local Environment Journal (March 2025)

We share our new Open Access article: Why do (some) people in informal settlements in Latin America grow food today and what is their struggle? The COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and climate change impacts have fueled optimism about alternative food systems. However, previous studies have shown that people often engage in these systems as part of a broader struggle, not necessarily with the sole aim of meeting food needs. The struggles we identified take the form of both "acts of resistance" and "acts of existence." These are the two key ingredients that (albeit in different proportions) drive the efforts behind engagement in alternative food systems. Read the full article here.

[+] Strengthening Food Resilience in Usme (Bogotá) – March 2025

A recent article in El Espectador highlights the work of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and the SUSTENTO project to transform food systems in Bogotá’s rural zones, especially in the locality of Usme. This initiative, supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), seeks to strengthen agroecological production and improve the resilience of farming communities facing climate change and urban expansion. Read the full article here.

[+] Launch of the Diploma in Vulnerability, Disasters, and Climate Change (March 2025)

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Diploma in Vulnerability, Disasters, and Climate Change in Latin American Cities, an interdisciplinary program addressing socio-environmental challenges in vulnerable urban contexts. Developed by the SUSTENTO project and implemented by the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, this diploma is grounded in a co-production approach to knowledge and innovative solutions aimed at strengthening the resilience of communities affected by climate crises, disasters, and territorial inequalities. For more information and registration, visit the diploma webpage.

[+] Andrés Olivera Wins National Architecture Prize (2025)

Our SUSTENTO project researcher, Andrés Olivera, architect and PhD in Architecture from the Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (UCLV), Cuba, has been awarded the 2025 National Architecture Prize. This award recognizes his professional trajectory and contributions to the development of architecture in Cuba. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership positions at UCLV, including Rector, Director of the Department of Construction Technology, and Dean of the Faculty of Construction. His work has been key to training new generations of architects and promoting sustainable practices in both urban and rural settings.

[+] Thesis Defense: Harold Bélanger, Department of Geography (November 2024)

Harold Bélanger, engineer and geographer from Nicaragua, SUSTENTO fellow, has defended his thesis co-supervised by Nicole Gombay and Kevin Gould. In his research, Harold identifies the main reasons why communication and awareness systems (newsletters, mobile apps, workshops, etc.) about climate issues fail to reach small-scale farmers in Guatemala. His findings raise important concerns about the design of services supported by national and international agencies. Read the full thesis here.

[+] Workshop: Safe Use of Medicinal Plants – Usme, Colombia (November 2024)

A workshop on the safe use of medicinal garden plants was held this week in Usme. It was a space for dialogue and knowledge exchange around an important component of alternative food systems. The community engaged with an ethnobotany expert to learn various ways to preserve, use, and prepare local medicinal plants. View the photos here.

[+] SAA Symposium on Urban Sustainability. Activity D4 (November 2024)

This event was scheduled to take place from November 12 to 15 in Cienfuegos, Cuba. However, just days before the start, Hurricane Rafael hit Cuba, collapsing the electricity system and preventing the in-person symposium from taking place. Various virtual activities were scheduled to continue with presentations and meetings. Access the presentations and posters here.

[+] Urban Agroecology from La Casona de Toqui, Cienfuegos, Cuba (November 2024)

Despite the disruptions caused by Hurricane Rafael, on November 7 and 8, 2024, a SUSTENTO project training session was held in Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos, led by Elsa Monsalve from Presentes Corporación (Colombia). Organized by specialists from the Universidad Central “Marta Abreu“ de Las Villas (UCLV), the event aimed to motivate and prepare community leaders for food production based on practices aligned with urban living. Read the article in the local press here. Watch the video report here.

[+] Article on Climate Change and Women Leaders (August 2023)

The article written by Gonzalo Lizarralde on the Silla llena website shows that vulnerable communities, led by women, respond in an activist and emotional way, based on care, love and local knowledge. Climate change is seen as a problem of social and environmental injustice, rooted in corruption and oppression. Effective solutions arise from culture, education, empowerment of women and communities, not just technical infrastructure. Ignoring the social and cultural leads to implementation failure. To see the full article, click here.

[+] U Bío-Bío article on Local Disaster Risk Governance (July 2023)

The researchers Roberto Burdiles, Juan Saavera, Casandra Carrasco and Karina Valenzuela of the Universidad del Bío-Bío, propose to understand the scope of local governance of disaster risk from the point of view of local leaders in Nonguén. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were applied to 18 community leaders. The results show the community perceptions on disaster and the spatial conditions of the territory for disaster risk governance at a local scale, specifically in the face of climate change. To see the full article,click here.

[+] Webinar: Applied Research for Climate Action in LA Cities (June 2023)

This webinar specifically addresses how applied research can help cities in Latin America to face their climate challenges, based on the experience and lessons learned from the Climate Resilient Cities Initiative, developed by CDKN and FFLA in 13 small and medium-sized cities in 7 countries in the region, and the ADAPTO project on disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change in informal settlements in Colombia, Cuba and Chile. To see the full video, click here.

[+] Adapto and Sustento presents at the i-Rec Conference in Sendai, Japan. (June 2023)

On June 1-4, 2018, our researchers Gonzalo Lizarralde and Benjamin Herazo from the Université de Montréal, presented a conference paper entitled: "Between Change and Continuity in Informal Settlements: The Role of Artefacts of Disaster Risk Reduction". The 2023 i-Rec conference reflected on the value and risks associated with disruptive transformation. In this conference, we collectively analyzed the type of change that was produced by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the reconstruction process that followed. Besides conference presentations, there were visits to the affected areas, workshops, and on-site discussions with reconstruction stakeholders. To see the book of abstracts, click here.

[+] Versión PDF de la publicación ARTEFACTS disponile en linea (mayo 2023)

In Artefacts of Disaster Risk Reduction, our team explores how to bridge the gap between inefficient top-down policymaking and the often-neglected capacities on the ground. We coined the term “artefacts of disaster risk reduction” to refer to the set of rituals, practices, events, and spaces that make it possible for people in informal settings to work together, develop trust, and reduce or manage the multiple risks they face. Full Artefacts PDF version here.

[+] Article by Ana Zazo in the Diario de Concepción (April 2023)

Ana Zazo, a researcher at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, published an article in the Concepción newspaper on the food strategy for the metropolitan area of Concepción and the Bío-Bío region. Despite this critical scenario, the regeneration of local food systems in the AMC has been a reality for a decade. See the full article here.

[+] Review of research results from Universidad del Valle (April 2023)

The Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Valle, highlighted the research results of Professor Adriana López-Valencia in the Adapto project on the management of risks associated with climate change. See the full note here.

[+] Documentary "The Struggle of the Poor" by FLACSO produced by Xanadu Films (2023)

This documentary written and directed by Paul Vanegas, was produced by FLACSO and executed by Xanadu Films. Photography and Postproduction Sebastian Rubiano Proano. It is part of the Sustento Project, funded by IDRC Canada.

[+] World Sustainable Built Environment Conference in Montreal

This conference will focus on peer-reviewed papers addressing basic scientific research and development, technological application of solutions, policy, and socio-economic drivers within the manifestation of a resilient built environment. Due to unforeseen reasons, the organizing committee announces that the 2023 edition of the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference will be postponed to Spring 2024. New dates will be announced shortly. Consequently, the abstract submission deadline will be extended to April 5, 2023. For further information click here.

[+] Case study and Microprojects. Valdivia. Antioquia Presente Corporation (Oct. 2022)

This video shows the case study and the micro-projects that Corporación Antioquia Presente develops in the municipality of Valdivia and Puerto Valdivia through the SUSTENTO project.

[+] Article: Learning communities. (Sept. 2022)

Article: Las comunidades de aprendizaje. Un modelo plausible en iniciativas comunitarias en educación ambiental y gestión del riesgo. El caso de Salgar-Antioquia Authors: Julia Diaz, Holmes Páez, Ana Milena González. This paper studies the plausibility of learning communities as a facilitating mechanism for environmental education and risk management processes with a focus on integral human development. It studies the process that has been developed over eleven years in the municipality of Salgar (Antioquia) involving different actors. To read the full article click here.

[+] Article: Community-based response to climate events (Sept. 2022)

Article: Respuesta a eventos climáticos desde la base comunitaria This article on the case study of Salgar, published in the magazine "Pesquisa Javeriana", talks about the material reconstruction after a tragedy caused by a natural phenomenon, which is an obvious necessity, but the reconstruction of society is a difficult challenge to overcome. Salgar, in Antioquia, comes back to life after one of these episodes. To read the full article click here.

[+] Video: Bogota is also rural. Bogota foodie (Aug. 2022)

This video is an interactive contribution in which the Universidad Javeriana contributes with @CanalCapital to the scales of recognition and representation of the peripheral urban rural territories of the city of Bogota. A joint effort to raise awareness among the inhabitants of the capital district about those inhabitants who, being peasants, live in the city. To watch the video click here.

[+] Book: URBAniños: Involving children in the processes of urban space intervention. (2022)

Title: Urbaniños : Una aproximación interactiva para involucrar a la población infantil en procesos de intervención del espacio urbano Authors: Adriana López-Valencia The URBAniños proposal as a citizen training program seeks to understand the relationship between education in children and their ability to intervene in their environment, understanding how interactive communication elements can be used to learn the concept of urban resilience, using a simple language that motivates the participation of children in co-design and co-management processes of green infrastructure projects, using low-cost local materials or recycled materials for the development of creative and technically feasible proposals to implement in urban public space. To download the full book click here.

[+] Conference presented at the Symposium Ibero-African-American on Risks (July 2022)

Title: Tensions between individual and collective agency in initiatives aimed at reducing food insecurity: the case of informal settlements in Quito, Ecuador Authors: Gabriela Gonzales Faria, Gonzalo Lizarralde, Benjamin Herazo, Lisa Bornstein and Sara Latorre Conference: IV Symposium Ibero-African-American on Risks Global Processes and Vulnerabilities: Threats/Risks and Local Strategies. From 21 to 23 of July 2022 Francisco José de Caldas District University, Colombia (Online) The presentations seeks to understand the socio-cultural dynamics that influence bottom-up initiatives to establish and maintain urban orchards as a strategy to face food insecurity in uncertain times. The research fields are in “Argelia Alta” and “La Lucha de los Pobres”, two neighborhoods of informal origin and vulnerable to the effects of Climate change in Quito, Ecuador . Both have public and private spaces and are home to individual and collective efforts to generate alternative food systems during the pandemic . What factors promote (or impede) these initiatives and the food security of those residing in informal settings? To see the full note and video click here.

[+] Article: The Role of Social Alliances in the Process of Reconstruction (June 2022)

Title: The Role of Social Alliances in the Process of Reconstruction in Salgar, Colombia Authors: Díaz, J., Páez, H., Lizarralde, G., & Herazo, B. Journal: Letras Verdes. Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Socioambientales After a disaster partially destroyed the city of Salgar (Colombia) in 2015, a governance structure based on co-responsibility between public, private, and non-profit stakeholders was key in the reconstruction process. Three aspects of these alliances, identified from the theory, and their role in the construction of the common good are analyzed. Qualitative methods are applied, with an exploratory and interpretive approach to analyze both primary and secondary sources. To read the full article click here.

[+] Report: The role of public and private sectors in disaster capitalism (May 2022)

Title: The role of public and private sectors in disaster capitalism Authors: Sandoval, V., Williams, D., Cheek, W., Von Meding, J., Chmutina, K., Gonzalez-Muzzio, C., Forino, G., Tomassi, I., Marchezini, V., Vahanvati, M., Páez, H., & Boyland, M Report: Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) At the outset, this study affirms that disasters provide opportunities: for some, this can mean positive societal change; for others, it is the ideal time for profit, resource extraction, and reinforcing the business-as-usual status quo. The latter has in recent years become known as ‘disaster capitalism’. This paper demonstrates that disaster capitalism manifests through the interplay between neoliberal reforms, practices, and disasters, and it is prominent in public and private sectors alike. To read the full article click here.

[+] Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast - French version - (April 2022)

"In this third episode, we meet Gonzalo Lizarralde, Professor at the School of Architecture of the University of Montreal. With him, we talk about the concept of vulnerability, its emergence, its importance in the field of disaster studies but also its limits. We also talk about the root causes of disasters and the frustration that we can feel when faced with the magnitude of the political, economic and ideological changes that would be necessary to succeed in reducing risks in a sustainable way." To listen to the full episode click here.

[+] David Smith awarded: IDRC’s 2020 Research Ideas Competition(March, 2022)

Our postdoctoral fellow David Smith's proposal entitled "Generating inclusive governance for Latin American and Caribbean urban food markets: potentials drivers and barriers" was awarded in the IDRC Research Ideas Competition, administered by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Seven awardees have been identified given the available funding envelope, a strong pool of applicants, the consideration of health and environmental co-benefits, and the ranking of proposals by our interdisciplinary peer-review Committee. To read the full proposal click here.

[+] UIC International Workshop in Quito, Ecuador (March, 2022)

INTERNATIONAL REGENERATION WORKSHOP: Food sovereignty and urban orchards: community-led initiatives for sustainable food environments. Barrio ‘La lucha de los pobres’, Quito. Ecuador. 13th to the 23rd of March 2022 This workshop is part of the Master of International Cooperation Sustainable Emergency Architecture of the UIC Barcelona (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya). The workshop includes a field trip to Quito, Ecuador where participants partner with FLACSO Research Center and Ayriwa Comunidad as local agents on sustainable development and emergency projects. To see the full note click here.

[+] Article: The problem of doing more. (February, 2022)

Title: The problem of doing more: success and paradoxes in scaling up informal initiatives for disaster risk reduction and climate action. Authors: Lizarralde G., Bornstein L., Herazo B., Burdiles R., Araneda C., Páez H., Diaz J., Fauveaud G., Olivera A., Gonzalez G., López O., López A., and Dharb T. Journal: Canadian Journal of Development Studies Climate change action is based on the principle that we need to do more. But doing more without a clear ethical framework and deep engagement in implementation is often problematic in DRR and climate action. We must reflect much more on the pertinence of ideas within local conditions, and we need to respect local struggles within their own historical and social context. To read the full article click here.

[+] ADAPTO Final Technical Report (August, 2021)

Title: Responses to Risk and Climate Change in Informal Settings in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Importance of Bottom-up Initiatives and Structured Dialogue Executive Summary: By virtue of its impact, budget, and number of participants, ADAPTO is one of the most ambitious recent research and implementation initiatives in the area of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate response in informal urban settings in Latin America and the Caribbean. The project (also known as “Climate Change Adaptation in Informal Settings: Understanding and Reinforcing Bottom-Up Initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean”) was conducted from 2017 to 2021 by a multidisciplinary group of researchers from five universities and one NGO. It was funded by the International Development Research Centre of Canada and coordinated by the Canadian Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Reconstruction Research Alliance (L’Observatoire universitaire de la vulnérabilité, de la résilience et de la reconstruction durable, or OEuvre Durable, in French). The researchers explored responses to climate change and variability in informal settings in Colombia, Chile, Haiti, and Cuba. To read the complete report, click here.

[+] Book: Unnatural Disasters by Gonzalo Lizarralde (July 2021)

Title: Unnatural Disasters: Why Most Responses to Risk and Climate Change Fail But Some Succeed Author: Gonzalo Lizarralde. Unnatural Disasters offers a new perspective on our most pressing environmental and social challenges, revealing the gaps between abstract concepts like sustainability, resilience, and innovation and the real-world experiences of the people living at risk. Gonzalo Lizarralde explains how the causes of disasters are not natural but all too human: inequality, segregation, marginalization, colonialism, neoliberalism, racism, and unrestrained capitalism. He tells the stories of Latin American migrants, Haitian earthquake survivors, Canadian climate activists, African slum dwellers, and other people resisting social and environmental injustices around the world. Lizarralde shows that most reconstruction and risk-reduction efforts exacerbate social inequalities. Some responses do produce meaningful changes, but they are rarely the ones powerful leaders have in mind. To buy the book, click here.