Professor Natalia Isabel Jaramillo Gómez, a member of the SUMAR research group at the Faculty of Business Sciences, participated as a researcher in the project titled “Evaluation of public policies related to strengthening agricultural productive units in the districts of Medellín.” This project was developed through an inter-institutional agreement with Professors Yony Fernando Ceballos and Julián Andrés Catillo Grisales from the University of Antioquia, Lina María Bastidas Orrego from the Remington University Corporation, and Elizabeth Chaparro Cañola from the Digital University Institution of Antioquia.

As a result of this collaborative effort, the research article titled “Development of an agent-based model to evaluate rural public policies in Medellín, Colombia” (ISSN 2071-1050) was written and published in the Journal Sustainability. This publication contributes to knowledge generation through the evaluation of public policy in the special district of science, technology, and innovation of Medellín, using a simulation model based on geographic analysis, agents, and dichotomous variables. These structures are combined to create a decision-making element, identifying changes to examine in relation to current land use and detecting properties with potential for conversion to agricultural use. By evaluating post-processed geographic layers, land use in agricultural rural environments is prioritized, configuring clusters of homogeneous areas and finding new areas of rural influence.

The implications of this study extend beyond Medellín, offering a model that can be applied to other regions facing similar challenges in agricultural productivity and land use. This research supports informed and effective decision-making in agricultural policy, contributing to improved food security and sustainable development. The results indicate that some properties are susceptible to policy changes and provide a framework for reviewing local regulations, serving as a supportive tool for decision-making in rural public policies by providing local administration with key factors to update current policies. It also highlights research outcomes being conducted at María Cano.