I would like to share an important program that was instituted in 2002 in Colombia. This program aims to eradicate the production of illicit crops and is led by the USAID, Colombian National government, the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) and a local NGO. This program’s main goal is to decrease the production of illicit crops by training and supporting farmers to produce legal crops or at least support them in their efforts to avoid growing them. The target populations are vulnerable farmers located in far-flung locations that are often pushed to produce illegal crops due to different circumstances.
The program called specialty coffee program (SCP) was implemented with a seven- step approach to increase the opportunities for these vulnerable growers. http://www.acdivoca.org/acdivoca/PortalHub.nsf/ID/colombiaSCP
Since the program started, it has reached into 16 states in Colombia. One of the most impressive achievements is up to 33,818 acres were supported through coffee production and food security.
Last week, under the Expo Especiales (http://www.expoespeciales.com/defaultEn.asp) trade show event, one contest was different among the set of lectures, booths and competitions. The special contest was based on cupping and grading the best coffee within the 2009 SCP program. Coffees produced under this program are called “Café Especial de Desarrollo Alternativo,†which means specialty coffee produced under alternative development. See the logo above. The first and second place winners not only received a premium price but also were invited to an expenses-paid trip to attend the next SCAA show in April 2010 at Anaheim, Calif.
Providing real alternatives and incentives for vulnerable growers to shift from illegal crops to legal ones such as coffee (caffeine is the legal drug) are smart ways to approach a problem affecting many countries around the world.
