Colombia

Agriculture as a Path to Peace, Stability, and Opportunity in Colombia

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:00:38 GMT

By Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera:Piendamo, Cauca, Colombia

When the boy asked me to work in a cocaine lab, I knew we had a problem.

He was a bright student, genuinely interested in science and always asking questions. I was his chemistry teacher. That’s one of my jobs, in addition to working on a family farm here in Colombia.

I thought I was doing well with him and that he was learning. One day after class, however, he came up to me. “Since you know chemistry, would you help me work in a cocaine lab?” he asked. “I can introduce you to the bosses. They pay very well.”

He went on to tell me that another teacher who worked in a cocaine lab had made enough money to buy a new car.

I was shocked.I did not respond—and in that moment, I was struck by the monumental challenges that rural youth face in Colombia. How much potential are we losing because young people are choosing this option?

Maybe my student’s question shouldn’t have surprised me. Every Colombian knows that the cultivation of coca plants is a major sector of our country’s agriculture. And every farmer probably has wondered about taking it up.

This dilemma lately has received attention from the international press, as Howard Buffett, the son of the famous investor Warren Buffett, has invested millions trying to persuade Colombian farmers to switch from coca plants to legal crops. I’m doing my part in a smaller way with ELOJA , a group that I founded to mentor young people in entrepreneurship, connect them with financing opportunities, and help them turn ideas into businesses.

This is the way to a brighter future—and it can begin on a farm like mine.

I grow flowers and coffee near Peindamo, a small city in the department of Cauca. My grandparents were coffee farmers. My father continued it and added flower production more than 30 years ago, and I took it up after he died because I wanted to maintain the family legacy as well as help it grow. Our flower production once covered four hectares, but during the pandemic it shrank to a single hectare. My goal is to rebuild, expand, and innovate—and to do it in a way that brings hope to young people.

I have friends whose families raise coca, and some of them used the proceeds to finance their university educations. Others have paid off debts. Many farmers grow the crop because they’re poor and it provides a fast and steady income. They’re willing to risk conflict with the military, police, and armed gangs.

I avoided that path because I want no part of the violence, extortion payments known as “vacunas,” and the other illegal activities that surround it. I respect the difficult decisions that other farmers make, but for me, agriculture is a path to peace, stability, and opportunity.

My plan is to build something sustainable for my family and community without putting anyone in danger. My academic background plays a part, allowing me to understand and apply information gained from scientific articles and publications to improve my farm.

We once had a problem with transplanting sunflower seedlings during germination. Research showed me which inputs to use and in what quantities, and soon we were growing better flowers than ever before. I’ve also used my knowledge of chemistry to calculate nutrient solutions and define the proper timing for irrigation and fertilization. This improved crop quality and lowered production costs.

Chemistry allows me to go beyond traditional methods of agriculture that often remain stuck in the past and to become a dynamic farmer who tries new ideas and tools.

This is the future I want to help create—one in which young people see hope and opportunity. Where agriculture is profitable and dignified. Instead of coca, I imagine diversified and profitable crops, with export possibilities.I see more agro-industries transforming what we grow into high-value products – chocolate, essential oils, natural dyes – so that families can earn more per hectare.

The future is possible.It will take collaboration, patience and courage. With the support of government to invest in infrastructure and security; private companies who can provide technology and can purchase from small farmers; and international partners to provide training and funding, we can help farmers quit the drug trade for good.

My goal is to ensure that the next student who loves chemistry sees a future in science and entrepreneurship – not the illegal drug trade.

Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera is a 3^rd generation farmer and social entrepreneur, managing small family farm raising sunflowers, chrysanthemums for oils and fiber, pepper. lettuce, cucumber, and coffee.Active in youth leadership, he leads the “The Agricultural Youth Observatory (ELOJA), and the Rural Incubator; Building Peace. Johan Sebastian is a member of the Global Farmer Network www.globalfarmernetwork.org

Peace Through Agriculture

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 13:00:00 GMT

By Jose Luis Gonzalez Chacon: Santander, Colombia

Everywhere we look in our war-torn world, we see farmers suffering from violence. It happens in the wheat fields of Ukraine , the kibbutzim of Israel , and the rice fields of Nigeria .

It’s also happening here in Colombia, where political and economic disputes in recent decades have erupted into every kind of conflict, from cartel kidnappings to full-fledged civil war.

We’re vulnerable to the violence but we refuse to be victims—and on our farm, we’re trying to advance a new idea.

We believe in peace through agriculture.

It’s a twist on the doctrine of “ Peace through Strength ,” promoted by President Ronald Reagan of the United States during the Cold War and suggesting that military power can prevent deadly confrontations.

Instead of arming ourselves with weapons, however, we take up the tools of farming.

Even Reagan understood our concept: “Cannot swords be turned into plowshares? Can we and all nations not live in peace?” he once asked in a speech to the United Nations.

Our theory is that if we give ordinary people an opportunity to own the land that they cultivate, they will become more invested in their communities and start to look out for each other—and become the peacemakers who prevent violence in the first place.

My father taught me that we always must do our best for others. I’ve remembered this principle during my career as a civil engineer and into my life as a farmer, which began six years ago in the region of Sabana de Torres, in the state of Santander, a bit north of the national capital of Bogota.

Our farm focuses on poultry, and we can house half a million birds at one time. We also run a palm oil plantation and lately I’ve started to grow watermelons and Tahiti limes.

Violence is a constant danger. In Colombia, it can include everything from urban crime and rural banditry to big battles between government forces and rebels.

Most of us try to avoid it. Yet I’ve had several close calls. In Arauca, near the border of Venezuela, I once found myself caught in the middle of a shootout. I’ve been in the presence of two bombings. I’ve escaped from a kidnapping attempt, and I’ve read a letter from an insurgent group than demanded my head.

I’m grateful to have survived. I’m also determined to make Colombia a better place for people to live and work.

There’s only so much a single person can do, however. Keeping yourself and your family safe can seem like enough of a goal.

Yet my father’s wisdom has encouraged me to think about solutions, even if they’re modest.

Peace through agriculture for me and my family is giving people the chance that society denies them, giving them the opportunity to work in the fields, gain the feeling of social, personal, and family security. Providing them the chance to grow economically and be part of a community that looks out for each other.

That’s why we’ve started to give our employees a portion of our farm. They can own their own land and work it as they please. We train them in the basics of food production and business practices. This gives them a sense of independence. It also gives them a stake in the stability of our country.

We’ve faced complications. Property rights in Colombia are contentious. Some landowners obtained their holdings illegally. We’re serious about our project, so we’re working with lawyers to make sure our friends have the papers to prove that they are the legitimate owners of their farms. As they build homes and grow small cash crops for extra income, they must enjoy proper legal protections.

It may seem strange to think that farming can deliver peace, but our idea is more ancient than innovative. In the Bible, the second chapter of the Book of Isaiah proclaims : “He shall judge between the nations and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall not raise the sword against another, not shall they train for war again.”

That’s the verse Reagan referenced at the UN.

The Soviet Union also acknowledged the idea when it presented the UN with a bronze sculpture of a man who is literally hammering a sword into a plowshare. This work of art is now displayed on the grounds of the UN’s headquarters in New York City.

The whole world, it turns out, wants peace through agriculture.

Jose Luis Gonzalez Chacon raises poultry and palm oil on a family farm in Santander, Colombia and has now added pilot plots growing watermelon and Tahiti limes. Trained as a civil engineer, the policy of the family farm is to make the best impact on the environment, using technologies and production strategies to keep the farm as green as possible. Jose is a member of the Global Farmer Network. www.globalfarmernetwork.org

USMEF's Halstrom Talks Export Results & Opportunities at Pork Forum

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:21:22 GMT

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom will be addressing participants at the National Pork Industry Forum on Thursday, March 7. Halstrom offers a preview of his presentation in the audio report below.

In his address to the Pork Act Delegate Session, Halstrom plans to discuss new opportunities for U.S. pork in established markets such as South Korea, Japan and Colombia, as well as developments in emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa.

He will also highlight USMEF’s efforts to preserve market share and capitalize on new opportunities in Mexico, despite facing a 20 percent retaliatory duty.

Colombia

Agriculture as a Path to Peace, Stability, and Opportunity in Colombia

Peace Through Agriculture

USMEF's Halstrom Talks Export Results & Opportunities at Pork Forum

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