Project News

The project team has started a baseline study with a women's coffee producers' association in Génova, Quindío, one of the candidate sites for the pilot project. The target association consists of 154 women coffee producer members who themselves operate a café in the center of Génova city. Although Génova City has seen a large influx of refugees due to the conflict, there has been no conflict with the local people, and social integration has progressed well.

Baseline survey with women's association board members

The first visit included a baseline survey of association board members, a project briefing for approximately 30 members, and interviews with prefectural, city, and other government officials and the FSC Coffee Producers Association. In addition, during the following week, a total of 78 members were interviewed individually over the course of a week. In the province of Quindío, Colombia's world-class coffee region, the government was highly enthusiastic about the project, and we were able to obtain cooperation for the survey and support for the pilot project from the province, city, and other entities.

The project will conduct a detailed analysis of the data collected and formulate a plan of action together with the project stakeholders, mainly the cooperatives supported by this site, but as of just after the completion of the survey, they have found some major organizational problems, so this is going to be a challenging pilot project. The project would like to share their knowledge with the Colombian side and find a good solution.

This project will continue to cooperate for the realization of rural reforms and peacebuilding in Colombia.

JICA Expert Kurihara explains the project to association members

Baseline survey using digital tools for individual members

Coffee trees grown by association members

Meeting with Mr. Julio Cesar (third from right in photo), Director General of the Agricultural Department of the Quindío Prefectural Government

Group photo at a cafe run by the Women's Association Board of Directors