El Oromazo

CDNT’s story begins in 2015. Herbert, our long term friend and co-founder of LaREB, was taken to Casabianca by his uncle to attend a community meeting. Casabianca is a small rural community in northern Tolima, underserved by many central authorities, but also by speciality coffee buyers. Despite excellent quality potential, this means opportunities for smallholders here are limited.

This region has a rocky history. The lack of involvement from central government here has always led to power falling into the hands of local groups, sometimes those with the local population’s interests at heart, but often those with less benevolent intentions.

It was one such group that led to the community meeting in Casabianca in 2015. A group from another part of the region had sought mining permits to begin industrially mining for gold in El Oromazo, a municipality close to Casabianca. Foreseeing both environmental destruction and devastating effects on local communities, a group of coffee producers met in Casabianca, and decided to take a stand. Together, the producers went on strike, blocking the road and making clear to the miners that they weren’t welcome.