Land Suitability for Oil Palm Cultivation in Nariño Department, Colombia

A land suitability map for oil palm (Elaeis guineensis J.) cultivation in the Nariño department of Colombia, produced at a 1:100,000 scale. The dataset results from a 2017 inter-administrative contract between UPRA and the University of Nariño, incorporating biophysical, socioeconomic, and socio-ecosystem components. It classifies areas into high, medium, low, unsuitable, and legally excluded categories for commercial palm development.

Use Cases

• Classifying land suitability (Aptitud) based on biophysical and socioeconomic factors using the Aptitud column.
• Calculating the total area of land in each suitability class by aggregating the Área (ha) column.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of suitable zones for agricultural planning using the the_geom geometry column.
• Identifying legally protected areas where cultivation is prohibited by filtering on the Aptitud column for 'Exclusiones legales'.

Strengths

• Includes a defined land suitability classification system with five distinct categories (Aptitud).
• Contains a spatial geometry column (the_geom) enabling geographic analysis and mapping.
• Based on a formal methodology and contract (Interadministrativo No 222 de 2017) between a government agency and a university.

Limitations

• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and attribute completeness require manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Result of a contract between UPRA (Colombian Rural Agricultural Planning Unit) and the University of Nariño.

Collection Method

Validation and application of a land evaluation methodology at a 1:100,000 scale.

Time Range

Methodology applied under a 2017 contract; specific data collection period is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-18 17:16:21; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nariño Department, Colombia.