An alternative is Colombian coffee / Photo by Vicky Baker
Environmental damage, armed violence, land mines, kidnappings, human trafficking, sexual slavery. These are just a few of the effects that international demand for cocaine has had on Colombia.
There are over 3 million cocaine users in Europe alone, which roughly equates to over 160 tonnes of cocaine being consumed every year, which in turn equates to over 100,000 hectares (75 times the size of Hyde Park, London) of pristine Colombian forest being cut back to make room for coca plants. It requires vast amounts of highly poisonous and harmful chemicals to convert these plants into the white powder that is sold on the streets.
Everytime someone buys a single gram of cocaine on the street they are paying for the 12kg of cement, 8.5L of gasoline, 1L of sulphuric acid, 700ml of ammonium hydroxide and 28kg of various other solid chemical precursors that are required to produce just that 1g of cocaine. If the environmental consequences of using these chemicals under such uncontrolled conditions is not enough; the cocaine trade also finances illegal arms groups such as FARC, who forcibly recruit children to produce their drugs. Land mines planted to protect coca crops claim 4 Colombian victims everyday.
The individual quest to obtain a momentary sense of well being from the use of cocaine is preventing any progress or justice from prevailing in Colombia. Although Colombia invests 1.39% of its GDP in the fight against illicit drugs, it is not enough. Not only is it costly in economic terms but also in social terms. The Colombian government is running a 4-year campaign called Shared Responsibility to raise awareness amongst European consumers about the damage done by the money spent on cocaine.
As consumers in an international market we can help to support the sustainable eradication of coca crops by helping specific social development projects that offer a direct alternative to coca cultivation. By consuming alternative Colombian products we can help to offer some of the most vunerable people in Colombia hope and alternative opportunities.
[...] The growing popularity of Colombia amongst backpackers will undoubtedly bring us more stories from those who fail to learn by other peoples mistakes. Tourism has the ability to help transform Colombia, but with ‘the rise of the cocaine tourist‘ change may still be a long way off helping to lift its cocaine curse. [...]