Citizen Science as a Strategy for Climate Management and Agricultural Sustainability

Citizen Science (CS) is consolidating itself as a transformative paradigm that democratizes the production of knowledge by integrating citizens into scientific processes. According to the European Citizen Science Association, this approach is guided by principles such as voluntary participation, methodological transparency, participant recognition, and the social applicability of results.

Panoramic view of the Los Medios vereda, San Vicente de Chururí municipality in Santander, Colombia. The main crops there are cocoa and citrus, along with significant pastures. Photo: Alejandro Peña/Fundación Natura.

In fact, studies such as “Participatory design of citizen science experiments” (Senabre, Ferran, & Perelló, 2018) show that co-created citizen science—where participants are involved in all stages of the research process, from design to interpretation of results—not only increases community motivation and engagement but also improves the relevance and social applicability of the data generated.

Furthermore, the publication “Citizen science for all. A guide for citizen science practitioners” (Pettibone et al., 2017) highlights that citizen science is a fundamental tool for expanding both scientific knowledge and community literacy. It does so through a structured model that integrates rigorous protocols, multidisciplinary teams, and tailored educational tools. This approach, validated over decades at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, underscores the importance of designing projects that not only generate reliable large-scale data but also empower participants through collaborative processes.

Cocoa producer in Santander, Colombia, learns how to measure daily rainfall in her farm. Photo: Alejandro Peña/Fundación Natura.

Participatory Climate Monitoring

A case study in Colombia is the Participatory Climate Monitoring (PCM) project, implemented by Fundación Natura and ISAGEN in the area influenced by the Sogamoso Hydroelectric Plant (Santander). This project, documented in the book Participatory Climate Monitoring MCP – A Strategy Based on the Citizen Science Approach (Rueda Q. et al., 2019), emerged from local community concerns about possible microclimatic impacts of the Topocoro reservoir. The PCM involved more than 100 rural producers in the systematic recording of meteorological variables (precipitation, temperature, relative humidity) using simple instruments (rain gauges, thermo-hygrometers) and locally adapted protocols.

Within this citizen science framework, methodological flexibility allowed protocols to be adapted to local realities; there was an exchange of knowledge integrating technical and empirical expertise; and educational tools and continuous communication were maintained through community radios and WhatsApp groups. These elements facilitated local capacity building and data-driven management, enabling farmers to correlate climatic variables with the phenological and phytopathological cycles of crops such as cocoa, coffee, and tobacco.

Cocoa pod on the tree. Photo: Alejandro Peña/Fundación Natura

Through Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses, it was demonstrated that the daily records of climatic variables—such as temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity—collected by 91 local monitors had a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with data from automated meteorological stations, thus validating the reliability of citizen-generated information. In addition, spatial analysis made it possible to identify previously undocumented microclimatic zones, allowing a detailed characterization of local patterns and their links to the phenological and phytopathological cycles of crops like cocoa and coffee. These results not only support the scientific utility of PCM but also demonstrate its ability to generate high-resolution spatial and temporal data, essential for agricultural decision-making and climate adaptation in rural areas.

Therefore, PCM not only improved the territory’s climate resilience but also fostered community empowerment. As participants such as Luis Torres and Natanael Ramírez reported, climate records became tools to negotiate loans, optimize agricultural practices, and raise alerts about environmental risks. Moreover, the inclusion of diverse actors (children, women, educators) fostered inclusive climate governance aligned with the principles of Citizen Science.

Community-Based Monitoring and Assurance System

This experience laid the groundwork for initiatives such as the Community-Based Monitoring and Assurance System (CMAS), currently being implemented in Planadas (Tolima) in partnership with the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), Rainforest Alliance, Preferred by Nature, and Fundación Natura. Funded by the ISEAL Innovations Fund, CMAS seeks to overcome the “diffusion–impact paradox” of sustainability standards, in which high certification volumes fail to translate into tangible benefits for small producers due to audit, cost, and technical capacity limitations.

CMAS expands the PCM approach by integrating sustainability modules (agroforestry, soil, water, human rights) and a digital platform (iHub) for data processing. Community monitors—selected by their peers—collect information on the adoption of practices, validating supply chains in real time and reducing the informational asymmetry typical of external audits. This not only strengthens the credibility of certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and Nespresso AAA but also empowers communities to engage in adaptive, evidence-based management.

Trainings teach farmers how to collect and interpret data. Photo: Alejandro Peña/Fundación Natura

The connection between PCM in Santander and CMAS in Tolima demonstrated the potential of Citizen Science to generate high-resolution spatial and temporal data, crucial for understanding and optimizing agricultural practices; promoting inclusive participation and equity in environmental governance; building bridges between local knowledge and global standards to enhance certification legitimacy; and fostering long-term sustainability through community-led processes with institutional technical support.

For all these reasons, Citizen Science emerges as a strategic axis for addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainable agriculture. The Colombian experiences demonstrate that when solid conceptual frameworks, adaptive technical support, and trust in local capacities are combined, it is possible to build monitoring systems that not only produce reliable data but also transform socio-ecological realities in territories.