This farmer wanted to quit the cocaine industry - he couldn't
Summary
A farmer in Colombia tried to stop growing coca, the plant used to make cocaine, by joining a government program designed to help farmers switch to legal crops. However, due to lack of promised support and challenges like floods and poor roads, many farmers, including him, have returned to growing coca, which remains widely cultivated in Colombia.Key Facts
- Perea, a Colombian farmer, stopped growing coca and planted legal crops like cassava and plantain.
- He joined a government crop substitution program aiming to help farmers abandon coca cultivation.
- The program promised financial aid and technical support but failed to deliver fully.
- Difficult conditions like poor roads and frequent floods made selling legal crops hard.
- Coca cultivation in Colombia is at record levels, covering over 250,000 hectares.
- About 70% of the world’s cocaine supply comes from Colombia’s coca plants.
- The substitution program (PNIS) was created as part of a 2016 peace deal with the Farc guerrilla group.
- Many farmers say the government treated them poorly and did not live up to its promises.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
