Meet the Farmers We Buy From in Colombia

The members of Fondo Paez have created a workable, sustainable and holistic vision for their indigenous communities. This vision is remarkable in and of itself, but the work and successes of this organization are truly extraordinary when viewed within the context of Colombian politics and globalization. From Spanish conquest centuries ago to the armed conflict raging in their territory for the past 40 years the Paez people have struggled for their lives, their land and their right to self-determination. The Paez (who also call themselves Nasa, or "the people") is the largest indigenous group in Colombia. Their land is in the Cordillera Central – centered around the mountains of the Cauca departamento (state).

In 1991 the Paez regained constitutionally protected control over their territory, but much of their culture and knowledge had been buried by centuries of conflict and oppression. A year later Paez community leaders teamed up with Fundacion Colombia Nuestra, a Colombian-based non-profit, to start the "Recovering Agricultural Knowledge" program. This program is still a major component of Fondo Paez's work, which became a legal association in 1996. This program's goal was to rediscover traditional (pre-conquest) forms of agriculture. In addition to education, Fondo Paez organizes seed collection and distribution of native bean, corn and vegetable varieties. These varieties are once again a major component of the Paez diet. One unique corn variety preserved by Fondo Paez is El Maiz del Ano, which stands 15 feet tall and takes a year to reach maturity!

The main cash crop of this region is coffee and to ensure a stable income for their members Fondo Paez organized community based coffee cooperatives. The organization provides technical assistance for quality control and organic production to its cooperative members. Fondo Paez then works with these primary cooperatives to collect coffee and transport it to a nearby beneficio (coffee mill) to be processed. The cooperative retains ownership of the coffee until it reaches the port. The coffee farmers are equal owners in the organization and receive not only the social benefits provided by Fondo Paez but also retain a much higher percentage of coffee profits.

Peace Coffee made our first visit to Colombia and Fondo Paez in February 2004 with Witness for Peace, a non-profit that leads social justice oriented trips and has been "giving a voice to the voiceless" in Latin America since the early '80s. We owe Witness for Peace a big thank you for their work and for facilitating our relationship with Fondo Paez.

On this trip we learned that we were the first North American coffee roaster to make it to the Paez coffee communities. The risks involved in traveling to this region were not lost on the farmers and we earned their trust immediately. The Paez people, like most Colombians, are caught in the middle of an armed conflict between the nation's army, leftist guerilla movements, and right wing paramilitary groups. In the current geopolitical climate it is very hard for Colombian civil society groups to work for justice. Fondo Paez, through strong community organizing and bringing the concerns of the Paez to national and international levels, is providing its members a sense of security and stability. Without a sense of security it is impossible to hope and work for a better future. During this visit we witnessed first hand the commitment Fondo Paez members have to their indigenous culture and to creating sustainable and peaceful communities. We also participated in a traditional ceremony performed by the community elders where we were blessed and granted protection.

Fair Trade is not very well established in Colombia and even though Fondo Paez had been operating with Fair Trade practices, they did not apply for their certification until 2004. Our coffee importing cooperative, Cooperative Coffees, was instrumental in demonstrating to FLO (Fair Trade certifier in Europe) that a Fair Trade market existed in the U.S. for Fondo Paez coffee. They received their certification in 2005 and we and other Coop Coffees members are the first roasters in the country to have established a partnership with this incredible organization.

It is an honor for Peace Coffee to support the Paez in these efforts, for we have much to learn from them. By buying Fair Trade coffee from Fondo Paez we are not just ensuring economic success. Through solidarity, we are building a new society founded on justice, ecological harmony and peace.

For information about the organization Witness for Peace visit their website at www.witnessforpeace.org.

Check out the May 2004 issue of Fair Grounds to read about our visit to Colombia.