Land Use and Control in the Making of a Commodity Frontier: Agribusiness Expansion in Eastern Colombian Savannas During the 21st Century

Abstract

This dissertation examines land cover and land use change across the Colombian Altillanura, a commodity frontier undergoing rapid transformation since the early 2000s. Combining remote sensing methods, spatial analysis, and political-ecological frameworks, the research develops workflows for multi-temporal land cover classification (LCoverFlow), characterizes the spatial logics of agricultural expansion, and analyzes strategies of land control deployed by diverse actors. Findings show that frontier change is not uniform but shaped by the interaction of agroecological suitability, infrastructure, institutional histories, and contestation over land access. Control, rather than biophysical suitability alone, emerges as a critical precondition for consistent agricultural conversion. The research highlights the importance of integrating Earth observation tools with context-sensitive governance approaches and underscores the need to consider institutional ambiguity, actor strategies, and historical inequalities in policy frameworks aimed at managing land transitions.