The department of Córdoba is constituted of thirty municipalities, of which 48 % of the inhabitants live in populated centers, rural and dispersed areas, where agricultural activities are carried out on approximately 39 % of the hectares suitable for this practice.These agricultural activities carried out in the rural area of Córdoba are usually characterized by insufficient levels of production that favor economic inequality in the territory.Given this scenario, this research aimed to diagnose the limiting factors of rural agricultural activity in productive associations in the northern area of the department of Córdoba -Colombia.With this purpose, seven associations and communities from the municipalities of Moñitos, Puerto Escondido, San Pelayo, Cereté, Tuchín, and Chinú have been analyzed as case studies through a qualitative (field observations) and quantitative (surveys) diagnostic method aimed at determining the main factors that affect the development of rural agriculture.The results of this diagnosis showed scarce specialized technical support for the development of agricultural activities, together with limited training and modernization of processes and a broad application of traditional knowledge usually associated with inappropriate agrarian practices; a global context affects agricultural productivity and food security in the territory.