Significant reduction in Colombian coca cultivation - Eurad

The reduction in cultivation is attributed to three factors: increased government presence, effective eradication programs and social and development programs providing alternative livelihood and infrastructure. The UNODC (United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime) produce annual monitoring reports on coca production in Colombia and the 2009 report was published this week.

The reduced cultivation has lead to a 9 per cent reduction in cocaine production. A large proportion of total production was seized (between 25-50%). The area under coca cultivation in Colombia is 43 per cent of the world total, while the cultivated areas in Peru and Bolivia are 38 and 19 per cent respectively.

Crop eradication is done either manually or by aerial spraying. The UNODC endorse and supervise manual eradication (the plant is pulled up completely) but not aerial spraying. Colombian authorities have for some years reduced significantly the use of aerial spraying. Apart from environmental concerns the replanting and recovery rate is relatively high. The UNODC stress that eradication should be accompanied by alternative development programs in order to make eradication sustainable.

One of the effective social programs is to recruit farmers to join the Forest Warden Program. There are more than 68 000 families so far taking part. The program is aimed at communities in particularly vulnerable eco-systems that are affected by cultivation. Other alternative development programs aim at substituting coca cultivation with alternative products such as coffee and cocoa.

Another measure is to improve infrastructure (roads and electricity) in order to support the legal economy and consolidate areas that have been made free from coca production.

The area of coca production coincides with the presence of illegal armed groups such as the FARC, the UNODC report notes.