The Institute for Policy Studies, Oxfam America
and the U.S. Office on Colombia
invites you to
Andrés García's presentation of his research on
Free Trade Agreements,
Peasant Economy, and
Illicit Crops in Colombia
The illicit cultivation of coca in Colombia is not as profitable a business as one would imagine. A new study by Colombian development expert Andrés García, reveals that the majority of small farmers growing coca in the areas studied were earning less than the legal minimum wage. Why do they persist in cultivating coca for illicit use? They simply do not have a viable economic alternative, according to Mr. García's report. Indeed he found that the majority of peasants used the money to buy basic social services, such as healthcare, which were not provided by the state.
Andrés García's research was funded by Oxfam and conducted in the departments of Nariño and Cauca. Mr. García will share his experience working directly with coca growing communities and explain what anti-narcotic programs have failed and which have failed miserably. He will also look at the potential impact of the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement on illicit coca cultivation.
Monday, July 13, 4:00PM
at the
Institute for Policy Studies
1112 16th St., NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC
(near McPherson Square and Farragut West Metro stops)
Andrés García:
Andrés García has a B.A. in International Development Studies and International Political Economy from Trent University in Ontario, Canada and holds an M.A. in Social Policy from the Universidad Javeriana Colombia. Mr. Garcia has authored a number of papers on economic policy and human development, and currently works as a consultant for Oxfam GB as the director of the qualitative study on small farmers who have adopted or abandoned the illicit production of coca crops.
For more information contact Sanho Tree stree@igc.org or call (202) 787-5266