BOGOTA, January 3, 2025 — FEMNCAFÉ, a federation of Colombian coffee producers led by former combatants who adhered to the 2016 Peace Agreement, is at the heart of this transformation. The organization is a key partner for Nature for Peace, a US$ 3 million initiative funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund [PBF] launched in 2022, which seeks to prevent socio-environmental conflicts in Colombia’s most war-torn areas by promoting sustainable practices and green businesses.
With an additional US$ 2.9 million in support from partners like UNDP, the Global Environment Facility, and Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers, the project operates in Huila, Tolima, Meta, Norte de Santander, and other biodiversity-rich regions.
The Nature for Peace project is groundbreaking as the first of its kind implemented by the United Nations to address peacebuilding and nature conservation through innovative financing instruments. In Colombia, where conflict zones often overlap with areas of extraordinary biodiversity, the stakes are high. Building peace in such areas means promoting licit economic alternatives that prevent new cycles of violence while respecting the environment and the cultural heritage of these communities.
FEMNCAFÉ’s strategy is built on three pillars: environmental connectivity, native species nurseries, and environmental education. By planting live fences, agroforestry systems, and mini-corridors, farmers are restoring 322 hectares of degraded land and improving 2,309 hectares of coffee production. Three nurseries in Planadas, Chaparral, and Algeciras now produce native flora to revive Colombia’s forests, laying the groundwork for long-term ecosystem recovery. Workshops and technical assistance empower farming families to adopt sustainable practices, blending traditional ecological knowledge with modern agroecology.
The project has benefited 7,100 people, including 24 coffee production units that have adopted nature-based climate solutions to improve resilience and productivity. FEMNCAFÉ is also redefining the coffee industry by democratising technical knowledge and opportunities. Through 20 group events, workshops, educational tours, and 800 farm visits, producers are learning how to manage their farms sustainably while planning collectively for the future.
This year, FEMNCAFÉ received the prestigious Equator Prize, an award celebrating innovative, community-led solutions to poverty and environmental challenges. The federation is working to create demonstration farms that will serve as schools for agroecological practices, scaling its model of sustainable coffee production.
https://thecooperator.news/coffee-farmers-urge-govt-to-engage-eu-over-deforestation-law/
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