Professors Natalia Isabel Jaramillo Gómez, Carlos Mario Londoño Toro, and Fernando Alonso Peña Zabala, members of the SUMAR research group at the Faculty of Business Sciences, collaborated with Professors Jorge Armando Muñoz Ruiz and Lina María Bastidas Orrego from the Capital Contable research group at Remington University Corporation to develop the research project titled “Strategies for Accounting and Financial Formalization in the Businesses of the Marketplaces in the City of Medellín.” This project was carried out through an inter-institutional agreement between the two institutions.

Within the framework of this project, the research article titled “Accounting and Financial Management of the Marketplaces in Medellín” was developed and published in the Dictamen Libre Journal of Universidad Libre, as evidenced by the following link: https://revistas.unilibre.edu.co/index.php/dictamenlibre/article/view/12177.

Medellín has four marketplaces that serve as cultural meeting points and centers of commerce, especially for fresh food, playing a crucial role in ensuring food security in the area. The objective of this work was to analyze the accounting and financial management of the businesses in Medellín’s marketplaces and the implications of this dynamic. Methodologically, this research is framed within qualitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional studies. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the managers of the marketplaces. The results demonstrated that most businesses operating in the marketplaces are characterized by cash sales and have little or rudimentary accounting and financial practices, which do not ensure sustainability over time. Informality in the management of the marketplaces presents a significant challenge for merchants.

This publication contributes to generating knowledge to support the SUMAR research group in social impact and sustainable businesses. Furthermore, it highlights the results and capabilities of the research activities conducted at María Cano.