Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development: taking stock and looking forward
Putumayo, Colombia: Doris Caicedo, a retired teacher, spends her retirement on a farm surrounded by the Colombian Amazon with her crops of sacha inchi – or, as it has come to be known, the ‘star of Putumayo’ because of its shape and nutritional benefits.
Doris was made to give back to the community.
She had already dedicated her life to teaching in her town of Puerto Asís, Colombia, a small town near the Ecuadorian and Peruvian borders. But in her retirement, she was searching for a way to bring even more positive change to her community.
Her region, Putumayo, had registered the highest increase in coca cultivation in 2022, according to a recent survey from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
An Alternative Development initiative created by UNODC, the Colombian government and international cooperation partners, such as the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), aimed to help communities in Putumayo replace coca with sustainable crops that promote wellbeing.
Alternative development initiatives seek to provide sustainable livelihoods to communities that cultivate illicit drug crops because they are unable to obtain sufficient income from legal activities due to conflict or lack of markets, basic infrastructure, or land.
Though she had never grown coca herself, Doris recognized that the program presented an opportunity for her community. She decided to start a new career as a farmer, harvesting sacha inchi, a fruit gaining popularity worldwide.
Also known as the ‘Inca peanut’, sacha inchi is native to the Amazon and has been cultivated for centuries by indigenous communities.
Many high quality products – like oil, flour, and nuts – can be extracted from sacha inchi seeds, giving it a high potential in national and international markets. It contains high levels of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, vitamins A and E.
"Being a teacher in the countryside has helped me to empower myself as a farmer,” Doris relates.
Doris’ success has also brought her admiration from her community. “I am happy to be seen on the same level as men because life has taught me that it is not only men or women who can progress individually, but human beings as a whole."
The story of Doris has empowered other rural women to bring positive and transformative change in the countryside.
Although she was skeptical and afraid of “external forces” at first, her focus and leadership allowed her to play an active role in her community and help others along the way.
Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States are some of the principal importers of sacha inchi, while Peru remains one of the largest suppliers.
However, the sacha inchi industry in Colombia continues to grow thanks to international partners, the local and national governments, and the commitment of farmers – broadening the long-term prospects of this crop for Colombia.
