http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/02/26/thousands-of-striking-colombian-coffee-farmers-met-by-force/
I had the joy of traveling to Columbia 2 years back and wow! Friendly people, great mountains. The Capitol, Bogata, has excellent restaurants, hotels, and an active night scene. I travelled to south Hula area to visit farms, warehouses, and the people that I was purchasing coffee from. I was interested in purchasing sustainable coffee (Rainforest Alliance) and another company buyer was looking into Fairtrade.
The article tells that the farmers wish to have sustainable prices and the programs to help with this are getting more popular. Rainforest Alliance (RA) and Fairtrade (FT) are two of these programs. I believe in these programs not only from a human stand but from a sustainable farming and land use point. Rainforest Alliance does have a piece of their program looking at biodiversity and keeping a section of the farm in a natural state. It was also very evident, to me, that the plants and farms in general, were healthier looking on the lands that were certified RA and FT. Here are a couple of pics from my trip. By the way - the blue plastic bags cover Bananas that the farmers grow for shading the coffee trees and additional income.
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