Abstract Changes in the interactions between agents involved in the value chain of the palm oil sector in the municipality of Tibú (Colombia) over the period 1985-2020 have resulted in a reduction in the indices of poverty, social inequality, and unemployment for the inhabitants of the region, which can be explained by a process of socio-technical transition. The main objective of this study is to analyze the factors that determined the success of this process from a multilevel perspective. Exploratory research was developed based on a case study analysis using semi-structured interviews of commercial and non-commercial agents in the sector and information collected from secondary sources. The results show that changes in the legal and regulatory framework established by the government, landscape transformation, and the transition from small farmers to medium entrepreneurs of the farms in the region were important factors revolutionizing the system and are encouraging the emergence of new alternative practices in the palm oil sector.

Abstract Identifying the basic competencies that a professional should possess to fulfill his or her role as an extensionist is important, since it favors the connection with the communities being accompanied. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the level of perception of the development of competencies of the extensionists, by means of an instrument designed by the authors, on a scale from one (critical situation) to five (optimal situation) using a rubric defined for each competency. The extensionist competencies index (ICE) for Antioquia was 4.1 and for Santander 3.8, which showed the potential and options for improvement to focus efforts on updating and training extensionists, which in the cases analyzed were focused on conflict resolution, information management, the ICT implementation in accompaniment processes, and alignment with the sector’s own regulations and policies.