USAID is promoting value chains that will help producers embrace licit economies.
Since 2000, Catatumbo has been synonymous with the presence of illicit crops and a drug trafficking corridor. In this region, which borders Venezuela and includes 10 municipalities from Norte de Santander, there are an estimated 30,000 hectares of coca.
While the area is disputed by various armed groups, thousands of farming families see few possibilities to enter into a licit agribusiness that allows them to leave illicit cops behind. Informal land tenure aggravates the situation, tertiary roads are in poor condition, and the government is still largely absent. Approximately 70% of the land is not formally owned, and this lack of secure land tenure is an obstacle to access bank loans and government subsidies.
However, Catatumbo has suitable weather and fertile soils for diverse agricultural products. The most common and profitable crops are coffee and cocoa, which provide income for more than 8,000 families.
To take advantage of these conditions, USAID through the Land for Prosperity Activity, promoted two Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the coffee and cocoa value chains, reaching more than 2,500 producers and resulting in more than $650 billion pesos in sales for cocoa growers.
To diversify agribusiness and boost additional licit economic opportunities in the region, USAID supported the creation of two more partnerships in the avocado and honey value chains.
The Avocado Bonanza
Recent studies show that Colombians are eating more and more avocados. Over the last five years, consumption has risen from 6 to 10 kg per person, per year. The trend bodes well for regions like Catatumbo, where conditions are apt.
To strengthen the value chain, meet the demand for avocados in Colombia, and explore export opportunities, USAID promoted the country’s first avocado PPP. The partnership has linked 17 associations that bring together more than 1,000 producers from 12 municipalities in Catatumbo. The partnership has already mobilized more than COP $1,900 million (USD $680,000) in funding and investment.
The partnership is important to identify needs and challenges in the value chain and foster collaboration among public entities to offer technical assistance on planting, grafting, and pest control to farmers.
“The avocado is a highly profitable crop and brings income to families. We have been replacing illicit crops with avocado,” says Diomar Contreras, avocado producer from the Afrucar association in El Carmen, Norte de Santander.
Avocado farmers face challenges with consistency and supply commitments. For commercial partners and avocado buyers linked to this PPP, such as the large supermarket chains in the departmental capital, Cúcuta, it is important to be able to rely on avocado delivery times and established quantities to guarantee producers the purchase of their product.
“For buyers, the issue of trust is important. The relationship between supplier and buyer is like a dating relationship, where we don’t always agree, but by talking and being there, we can achieve and strengthen our commercial partnership,” says Angie Garzón, fruit and vegetable purchasing manager at Los Montes supermarket in Cúcuta.
A Sweet Future
The honey produced in Catatumbo is known for its unique flavor profiles. However, most beekeepers lack the knowledge and tools to comply with the quality standards. This, added to the lack of appropriate infrastructure such as roads, has limited the options to sell outside of the region.
USAID facilitated a partnership in the honey value chain to create opportunities and build the capacity of beekeepers The PPP organized leadership schools for community leaders. USAID is currently working with the Norte de Santander Secretary of Agriculture to create departmental honey and avocado committees which will maintain the collaboration between the PPP participants and ensure the long-term sustainability of the partnerships.
“We need knowledge, we need training, and these partnerships allow us to know what the producers need to be able to sell to larger markets. That is why we need to come together, so that smallholder farmers can reach big clients and offer that added value that formal markets require.”
– Carlos Ascaño, technical leader, Coosocata Cooperative, Catatumbo.