Jose Eliseo Castrillon

Colombian agricultural innovator who transformed mountain farming through terraced irrigation systems

Jose Eliseo Castrillon (1912-1998) pioneered sustainable agriculture in Colombia's Andes region through his terraced irrigation techniques. Born to subsistence farmers in the Cundinamarca department, he observed soil erosion and crop failures during the 1930s droughts. After studying engineering at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, he developed a modular irrigation system using locally available materials like bamboo and stone. His 1947 《Terrazos de Vida》 manual became the blueprint for hillside farming across Latin America.

Castrillon's systems increased crop yields by 300% while preventing soil depletion. He trained over 2,000 farmers through his mobile workshops, establishing cooperatives that still operate today. His 1965 innovation of integrating aquaculture ponds into terraces provided protein sources while improving water retention. The FAO adopted his principles in their 1972 mountain agriculture guidelines.

Notable achievements include:

• First to use termite-resistant bamboo culverts
• Development of drought-resistant maize varieties
• Establishment of the Andean Agroecology Network

His work is featured in the Smithsonian's 2020 exhibit 《Roots of Resilience》, highlighting pre-Columbian and modern sustainable practices.