The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) in collaboration with the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) has established an organic coffee conversion and processing facility to boost production output and strengthen the economy of the Indigenous community in the South American country.
The ONIC Java Liviana Farm located in the Cundinamarca district of the town of Silvania produces an average of four tons of coffee per year and hosts 11,300 coffee trees. The facility is expected to directly benefit 70 Indigenous families and 50 foundations.
Orlando Rayo Acosta, the chairperson of ONIC, which represents some 800,000 Indigenous people in Colombia, thanked TIKA for its support. “The greatest diversity in our country is our native soil. We, as the Indigenous people, possess a great treasure of cultural, spiritual and traditional wealth. We do not work just for our people, but we strive to help the whole country, the entire humanity. We thank you for coming here to help us. We hope that our collaboration and bonds of brotherhood continue to flourish,” Acosta said.
Heber Tegria, ONIC head of administration, planning and financing, stated that “(ONIC) will continue our efforts to increase ties with international organizations that encourage the strengthening of the economies of Indigenous people. Thanks to the machinery given by TIKA, we can demonstrate to the world that the Indigenous people of Colombia can produce economic systems, endeavors and incomes and that we can be sustainable.”
The coffee processing and marketing project is designed to complement the coffee planting and harvesting within the scope of “the Program of Supporting the Economy and Social Initiatives of the Indigenous People in South America.” Those in the program can participate in educational activities, including coffee analysis and tastings, and learn about the proper processing and manufacturing processes. Coffee picking, classification, grinding, roasting and tasting equipment, in addition to the coffee quality analysis lab, have been provided by TIKA.
