Country agriculture profile · Latin America & Caribbean
Colombia
Colombia's tropical, mountainous geography gives it a wide altitudinal range of production, from Caribbean lowlands to cool Andean highlands. Its agriculture is defined by high-quality Arabica coffee grown across the Andean slopes, alongside irrigated sugarcane in the Cauca valley, banana and plantain, rice, oil palm, and a growing cut-flower and tropical-fruit export sector. Extensive cattle ranching occupies large areas of lowland and savanna pasture. Rural land distribution, the legacy of armed conflict in the countryside, and the coexistence of export agribusiness with smallholder farming are enduring features of the sector.
Farming systems (stable overview)
Climate zones
- Tropical rainforest
- Tropical savanna
- Tropical highland (Andean, by altitude)
- Arid (Caribbean north)
Agroecological zones
- Andean coffee belt (temperate mountain slopes)
- Caribbean lowland plains
- Cauca and Magdalena river valleys
- Eastern Llanos savanna
- Amazon and Pacific forests
Dominant crop systems
- Shade and sun Arabica coffee on Andean slopes
- Irrigated sugarcane in the Cauca valley
- Banana and plantain for export and domestic use
- Rice, maize, and oil palm in lowland valleys and plains
- Tropical fruit, cut flowers, and cacao horticulture
Major livestock systems
- Extensive dual-purpose and beef cattle on lowland and savanna pastures
- Dairy in the cool Andean highlands
- Intensive poultry and pig production near urban centres
Irrigation: Abundant rainfall means most Colombian cropping is rainfed, with irrigation concentrated in the Cauca valley sugarcane belt, lowland rice districts, and the drier Caribbean and inter-Andean valleys.
Latest verified data
Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land | 36.49 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Arable land | 2.3 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Cereal yield | 4,422.2 | kg per hectare | 2024 |
| Crop production index | 111.63 | index (2014–2016 = 100) | 2022 |
| Food production index | 110.64 | index (2014–2016 = 100) | 2022 |
| Agriculture value added | 9.5 | % of GDP | 2024 |
| Employment in agriculture(est.) | 14.25 | % of total employment | 2024 |
| Forest area | 52.77 | % of land area | 2023 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Cereal yield over time
Show data table
| Year | kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 3,277.8 |
| 2014 | 3,754.6 |
| 2015 | 3,893.5 |
| 2016 | 3,792.5 |
| 2017 | 3,856 |
| 2018 | 4,014.2 |
| 2019 | 4,167 |
| 2020 | 4,398.6 |
| 2021 | 4,278.9 |
| 2022 | 4,397.1 |
| 2023 | 4,301.2 |
| 2024 | 4,422.2 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Derived indicator
Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 6.3 % of agricultural land (2023)
Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (2.3) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (36.5). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.
Documented crops & livestock
Agricultural institutions
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MinAgricultura) — National agriculture and rural development authority.
- Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA) — Principal national agricultural research organisation.
- Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) — National plant and animal health and sanitary authority.
- National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC / Cenicafe) — Coffee-grower federation and its Cenicafe research center.
Data coverage & limitations
Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.
- Statistics are dated, versioned, and periodically revised; always read them with their reference year and dataset version.
- National definitions of farm, cultivated land, and livestock categories differ from those used elsewhere.
- Decades of rural conflict have affected land use and the completeness of data collection in some regions.
- Extensive cattle grazing and dispersed smallholder production complicate land-use accounting.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- Authoritative
Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Crop and livestock production statistics
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [3]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production systems and food-security context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12