Although the Colombian environmental policy is unfavorable to farming in the páramo ecosystem, it is believed that an integrated management of the páramo is possible, and that farming activities can be part of the solution at this agriculture-environment problem. This issue has become particularly acute on the Rabanal páramo (western cordillera) where the projected expansion of a core protection zone will soon include major areas used for agriculture and settlements. In this paper, we show how a multi-scale approach combining agronomy, geography and management sciences, can help to identify areas of flexibility within the páramo farms for the introduction of technical and organizational changes that combine conservation and sustainable livelihoods. A study of local agrarian history and aerial photos indicates that this zone has been a dynamic part of local farming systems since at least the 1950's and that the páramo has evolved from a subsistence farming area to a zone that now includes intensive potato production conducted by external entrepreneurs. The presence of entrepreneurs is mainly due to the need of family farmers for a solution to maintain the productivity of their pastures. Through a process of interviewing participants in the debate, as well as mapping land use in the contested area, perspectives for action were developed that would result in more sustainable farming practices.