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Inspecting the concentration of sugars of coffee cherries using a refractometer Coffee For Peace
at Finca La Mula, Panama Coffee for Peace in Colombia is an alliance of coffee farmers and market allies
created to develop, facilitate, and promote the trade of traceable coffees from
historic conflict zones in Colombia. Sponsored by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), Coffee for Peace works in in the
departments of Antioquia, Bolivar, Caqueta, Cauca, Meta, and Valle, seeking to
make specialty coffee a key driver in the transition to peace.
coffeeforpeace.org

distancing protocols. At the outbreak of COVID-19, most of At the warehouse of a local trader I saw a young woman
Panama’s coffee had already been collected. Fortunately the delivering a few bags of ‘pergamino’ coffee beans (unroasted
pandemic didn’t impact the harvesting of coffee cherries to coffee in parchment skin) for which she collected a receipt to
the same degree as it might affect the crop in some of Colom- be exchanged around the corner for cash. An intermediary
bia’s most productive regions, like the department of Cauca trader would sell her coffee to an exporter, and then through
where the main harvest will start in June of this year. an importer to a coffee roaster, who would supply the beans
to customers thousands of miles away. Usually this type of
‘Coffee For Peace’ in Colombia trade is completely anonymous; the origin is basically untrace-
able and the farmers lose out financially. We concluded that
From the mid 1960s until recently, Colombia was en- this had to change radically. To reinforce our mission, an in-
trenched in a horrible civil war between the Colombian novative new brand called ‘Coffee For Peace in Colombia’ was
government, paramilitary groups, and armed guerrilla rebels launched in 2019 with additional funding by USAID. To garner
like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) a national Colombian platform we collaborate closely with the
and the National Liberation Army (ELN). To make things FNC, the National Federation of Coffee Farmers. Internation-
Photo / Willem Boot
worse, the internal conflicts were aggravated by the onset of ally we started collaborations with various formidable trading
senseless violence caused by the production and trade of partners like the Dutch company Trabocca and the North-Amer-
illicit drugs. Infighting between the cartels from Medellin, ican based RGC Coffee.
Cali and Norte de Valle and ongoing conflicts caused by the
rebels led to the migration of more than five million Colom-
bian citizens between 1985 and 2016. Since the signing of a
purchasing five hectares of mostly forested land on the steep cent of the total population; the Guaymí and Ngöbe-Buglé historic peace agreement, the FARC rebels agreed to disarm
slopes of the Baru volcano. I named the farm Finca La Mula; comprise half of the native people of Panama. At Finca La Mula in 2017 and since then programs have started to sustain the
literally translated this means ‘Farm The Mule’ recognizing and at our nearby Finca La Cabra (the goat) we employ six peace process by providing sustainable sources of income for
the fact that I first visited this remote forest on the back of fulltime Ngöbe-Buglé workers who continually live at the farms coffee producers.
a mule. The farm is situated at 1,700 to 1,800 meters and in order to take care of the ongoing maintenance. We have In 2017 I co-wrote an economic plan to develop incen-
some parts are very steep and overgrown by the rainforest been taking extreme care to protect our workers against the tives for specialty coffee producers in some of the more in-
which we left intact. We planted about 6,000, mostly bronze potential onslaught of the virus by teaching sanitary and hy- famous regions of Colombia that were affected by violence.
tip Geisha, on the more open, exposed parts of the farm and giene protocols and by ensuring that they stay healthy. As a In that same year, our proposal was fully accepted and
since 2012 La Mula has been producing limited quantities of farm owner I consider it my responsibility to take all possible funded by the United States Agency for International Devel-
exquisite tasting coffee. Over the years we were able to win measures to protect our indigenous workers from the threat opment (USAID). More than 10 thousand coffee farmers fall
various awards, among others the first place at the Best of of the potentially disastrous virus. Fortunately, the farms are under our mandate. My first fact-finding exploration led us
Panama and two Good Food Awards. located in a relatively remote section of the Boquete Valley. by express riverboat over the mighty Magdalena river towards
Like most coffee producing countries in Latin America, To get there, you’ll need to conquer the highly treacherous the hidden and bustling town of Santa Rosa, in the northwest
the government in Panama has taken extensive preventative unpaved road that leads from the town of Portrerillos Arriba of Colombia. The renowned writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez
measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Citizens aren’t to the rainforest that covers the southeastern section of the became fascinated by the magic of Colombia’s greatest river,
allowed to go outside except for limited hours for the pur- Baru volcano. Overall I can say that in times like these, the which he described in several books. Upon arrival I sensed
chasing of necessary supplies and food. Fortunately, coffee- remoteness of the farms proves to be a blessing; it helps our a feverish atmosphere. Until recently, Santa Rosa in the de-
producers and other farmers of agricultural products are al- efforts to protect our staff against the spread of the virus. At partment of Bolivar, was considered a Sodom and Gomorrah
lowed to leave their houses and work their farms in order to Finca La Cabra we are planning this year the official opening of Colombia. During the time of our visit, the circumstances
take care of ongoing business. Panama counts 4.2 million in- of our brand new workers housing, which provides ample space had improved considerably and fortunately the peace process
habitants and the indigenous people make up about 12 per to all workers and which is large enough to facilitate social was already bearing fruit.

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