Coffee is the second most popular beverage in the world (together we drink 2 billion cups of coffee each day! 
) and Colombia is the second largest distributor. Imagine what impact we as conscious consumers, can have on Colombian communities and local biodiversity if we combine regenerative agriculture with indigenous resilience! Our friends at Jaguar Siembra are doing just that. They have combined the planting of food forests (together with indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) to regenerate local ecosystems and generate a fair income for the communities.
#coffee4biodiversity is an initiative by Jaguar Siembra, a Colombian organization with many years of experience in planting food forests with indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The area is very unique in its ecosystems, it has both rainforests and marine life. The local indigenous people have lived there for many centuries, they are the Kogi and Wiwa and they are strongly connected to the natural environment. This place is sacred to them and they protect it by sharing their ancient knowledge and selling the produce coming from their food forests. Coffee is one of these ancient crops which they have been farming for a very long time but the market for coffee has put most of the money from sales into the pockets of outsiders. The international market has had devastating impacts on both local farmers and the ecosystems, as the mass production of coffee and monoculture has killed many other crops and biodiversity in the area.
Together with Jaguar Siembra, the Kogi and Wiwa coffee farmers are now producing coffee within the context of the food forests, promoting various different crops and growing the coffee from seedling to full trees. This way of farming is completely in line with the ancient ways, and you can experience and taste that in the biodiversity coffee as sold on the website of Jaguar Siembra today. We would highly recommend trying it and supporting the indigenous communities to restore their land and regain financial freedom.
If you are not a coffee lover or you prefer supporting the Kogi and Wiwa in a different way, you can also donate directly into the crowdfunding to plant more trees and/or share this campaign with your friends and acquaintances. You can find all the details on the website: www.jaguarsiembra.com
Want to learn more about the history of this enchanting place? Please go here.
