Tag Archive for: Poverty In Colombia

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How Project Hope is Helping After the Earthquakes in Colombia

Earthquakes in ColombiaOn Aug. 10, 2026, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia caused mass destruction, hundreds of fatalities and left thousands of people in need of urgent help. The earthquake hit about 150 miles west of Bogotá, with the city of Cali facing considerable destruction. Tremors were felt as far away as Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

It was the strongest earthquake to hit Colombia in over a decade, followed by at least 250 aftershocks, just weeks after two detrimental earthquakes in Venezuela.

With more than 156,000 homes damaged or destroyed, more than 170 collapsed buildings, at least 300 dead and more than 4,500 injured, immediate outside help is necessary. Organizations such as Project HOPE, a nonprofit dedicated to emergency response, are working to provide hygiene supplies, medical assistance and infrastructure repairs in the days after the earthquake.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency, and Project HOPE responded within hours.

Project HOPE’s Efforts

Project HOPE is aiding Colombia by providing hygiene supplies such as toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, diapers, soap, cleaning supplies and more. Without the worry of basic hygiene and dignity items, those affected by the earthquake can focus on finding their families and rebuilding their lives. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, Project HOPE began assessing health facilities within hours of the earthquake, surveying the partially collapsed Hospital Universitario del Valle Evaristo García, where health workers have had to set up tents outside to treat the injured after a wing of the hospital collapsed.

Mental Health Focus

Project HOPE also focuses intensely on mental health. Traumatic events such as earthquakes and other natural disasters leave wounds that are not always visible. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety surrounding possible future tremors can leave people with immense fear and inability to function.

Project HOPE is working to make mental health services a part of basic healthcare, regardless of social or financial circumstances. One billion people around the world suffer from psychological challenges, and less than 30% of those people will receive treatment. Challenges increase significantly in areas impacted by war or natural disasters. Project HOPE’s implementation of mental health services in Colombia helps to address all injuries a person may suffer from after a traumatic event, including mental ones.

Pre-Existing Needs

While it is vital to respond quickly during an emergency, need existed before the earthquakes in Colombia. Nearly 7 million individuals were already in need of humanitarian support before the earthquake hit. After the disaster, that number is expected to grow as families face further displacement, disrupted services, loss of income and reduced access to basic necessities. The limited access to healthcare, clean water and psychological first aid makes recovery from the earthquakes more difficult, emphasizing the importance of aiding those in need before disaster strikes.

– Julia Cholerton

Julia is based in Gig Harbor, WA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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$25 Million PAHO Health Initiative in Latin America

PAHO Health Initiative in Latin AmericaOn June 25, 2026, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a $25 million health initiative in five Latin American countries. The project will directly benefit more than 1.1 million people in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras, and indirectly reach close to 900,000 more. It aims to expand access to essential health care in communities facing some of the region’s most severe humanitarian pressures. In these nations, poverty and poor health access often reinforce each other.

Why Now

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs manages the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean (RHPF LAC), which was established in 2024. The fund delivers faster, more flexible funding to one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions. Latin America and the Caribbean face mounting humanitarian pressure: food insecurity and violence have reached record levels, with 27.3 million people in need of assistance in 2025.

In Colombia, armed conflict, extreme weather and migration pressures continue to drive urgent health needs, particularly in areas where non-state armed groups restrict access to essential services. Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador face their own overlapping challenges. These include population displacement, cholera, drought, food insecurity and vector-borne disease outbreaks. PAHO selected the five countries because their health systems face some of the region’s steepest strains, making them priorities for a coordinated response.

Country-by-Country Snapshot

Haiti will receive the largest share of the funding, reflecting the severity of a humanitarian crisis marked by widespread displacement and cholera outbreaks. Poverty compounds the crisis. The World Bank’s most recent national survey from 2012, found 88% of Haitians live below the national poverty line. Given the survey’s age, that figure likely understates current conditions after more than a decade of continued political and economic instability. In Haiti, the initiative aims to maintain access to emergency and essential health care for more than 524,000 people in highly vulnerable situations. This includes support for the cholera response, maternal and neonatal care, mental health services and vaccination campaigns against measles and diphtheria.

In Colombia, where an estimated 37% of the population lives below $8.30 a day, funding will expand health services for communities affected by conflict, violence and climate-related displacement, with a specific focus on hard-to-reach rural and tropical areas. Planned actions include primary care, disease surveillance, nutrition support, mental health services and improved access to safe drinking water.

In Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, where implementation began in early June, PAHO is working to restore and strengthen essential health services disrupted by climate shocks, food insecurity and disease outbreaks. Around 50% of Hondurans and 47% of Guatemalans live below $8.30 a day, while roughly 30% of Salvadorans live below their country’s national poverty line. These figures underscore why sustained health investment in these communities matters. Response efforts include mobile health brigades, vaccination campaigns, rehabilitation of health facilities and improvements to water and sanitation systems, alongside targeted disease prevention work. In Guatemala, the project will prioritize communities affected by drought and crop losses, while in El Salvador, funding will concentrate on vector-borne diseases and climate-related emergencies.

The Capacity-Building Angle

PAHO structured the health initiative in Latin America to build lasting capacity, not just deliver short-term relief. Alongside emergency response, its projects include strengthening epidemiological surveillance, expanding maternal, child and mental health services, also improving water, sanitation and hygiene systems in all five countries. These investments will help local health systems detect and respond to future outbreaks and climate emergencies on their own, reducing long-term dependence on humanitarian aid. The initiative pairs immediate care with system-level improvements. This approach aims to leave communities more resilient and better equipped to protect their own health and economic stability long after the current funding cycle ends, offering a model for how emergency response and lasting development can work together.

– Gonzalo Rodriguez

Gonzalo is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How a Solar Project is Reducing Poverty in Cali, Colombia

poverty in CaliFor years, residents of Santiago de Cali have faced high electricity bills, carefully managing their appliance usage to avoid spikes in expenses.

In 2025, President Gustavo Petro’s government took action to lower their bills by implementing renewable energy as a cost-effective solution, and it is working. To address increasing household expenses in Colombia’s third-largest metropolitan area, Cali, the government collaborated with local utility program EMCALI to push the Hogares Energéticamente Sostenibles (Energy-Sustainable Homes) initiative, or Colombia Solar. The project’s goal extended beyond implementing sustainable energy infrastructure; it aimed to lift 2,000 low-income families in Cali out of poverty by reducing energy bills.

Simultaneously, it sought to lessen the government’s reliance on subsidization by reallocating money from energy subsidies to the solar initiative. This Cali-specific investment comprised COP 8.35 trillion (approximately US$2.22 billion).

Implementation and Impact

As of August 2025, Colombia Solar successfully installed photovoltaic systems in 1,860 low-income households in the Potrero Grande and Llano Verde neighborhoods, according to Minister of Mines and Energy Edwin Palma. In September of the same year, these programs urged the solar project to continue reducing poverty in Cali, aiming for their goal of 2,000 households.

The results have been significant. Increased solar energy usage has reduced most sustainable households’ electric bills by 40% to 60%, with some reporting no charges at all. “This program is a blessing. Before, I had to stop using the fan or blender because the energy consumption skyrocketed. We were paying up to 230,000 pesos a month; now the bill is down 100,000 pesos. It is a huge help for my family,” beneficiary Bellanira Guzmán said.

The Bigger Picture

Colombia Reports indicates that while extreme poverty has decreased in the last 10 years, urban poverty was still at 30% in 2022. Disparities have worsened in areas like food and housing deficiency in the last five years.

The city organizes its social classes in categories one through six, with six being the highest class and one the lowest. Neighborhoods are organized according to these metrics. This recent program, aimed at Cali’s three lowest social strata, relieved significant financial burdens on thousands of people dealing with these disparities.

Colombia Solar’s program has shown that measures of equity and renewability can have real, sustainable impacts on well-being. Aiming this initiative at Cali’s three lowest social strata has relieved significant financial burdens, allowing them to narrow the wealth gap with higher economic strata.

Beyond poverty reduction, Colombia Solar has impacted the country’s energy industry. From 2025 to 2026, Colombia’s solar energy market grew by 0.7%, showing its effect on larger markets as well as locally. The report estimates additional growth up to 8% by 2031.

This economic growth could potentially create 25,000 jobs in Colombia’s renewable energy industry nationwide as the broader Colombia Solar program, backed by a separate 8.35 trillion COP (about $2.2 billion) national investment, expands to more than 1 million low-income households between 2026 and 2030. The government already provides tax breaks and subsidies for businesses using renewable energy resources, covering installation costs.

While installations can be expensive, results clearly show that long-term savings on bills are worthwhile.

Why Cali’s Case Matters

The advantages of this solar project in Cali are abundant. It has brought prosperity to impoverished populations and positively impacted larger economic markets with job creation and the growth of renewable energy industries.

The use of renewable energy in Cali demonstrates that sustainability, poverty reduction and market prosperity can work together.

– Aren Lau

Aren is based in Brooklyn, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Colombia’s Decreasing Unemployment Rate

Colombia's decreasing unemployment rateCompared to other Latin American countries, Colombia’s unemployment rate has always been notably higher. Currently, the average rate for Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the International Labor Organization, is 5.5%, whereas Colombia’s is 8.3%. This leaves many people and families in the country impoverished and food insecure, especially in families where both parents cannot work. However, despite being much higher than average, Colombia’s decreasing unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since 1994.

Unemployment in the Past

The lowest Colombia’s unemployment rate has been in recent decades was 7.8% in 1993, aligning with Latin America’s lowest until the average hit a new low in 2024. Despite this all-time low in the ’90s, the highest the unemployment rate reached was just seven years later in 2000 after Colombia’s 1999 economic crisis. This was caused by a rapid increase in public expenditure and major debt within private sectors, leading to a sharp drop in GDP growth. At its peak, the unemployment rate reached 20.5%, almost triple what it was in 1993.

Though Colombia was able to recover steadily after the recession, the rate began to increase again from 8.6% in 2015 to 16% in 2020, with the major spike mostly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This worldwide event left people jobless everywhere, so it is no surprise that Colombia faced similar circumstances. However, despite this spike, the country recovered much faster than in 2000, with Colombia’s decreasing unemployment rates now being the lowest they have been this century, just three years after the pandemic was declared over.

What Has Changed?

  • The fertility rate has decreased. From 2000 to 2024, the fertility rate in Colombian women went from 2.5 to 1.6 children. A lowered fertility rate leads to fewer people requiring jobs as well as fewer parents being financially insecure, while also allowing more women to join the workforce since they have fewer, if any, children to care for at home.
  • Education rates have been rising as well. Colombia’s decreasing unemployment rate has gone hand-in-hand with rising education rates, especially among women. In 2019, only 73% of the population had an upper-secondary education, but that has already increased to 83% as of 2024. Higher education typically means more job opportunities, allowing more people to have jobs overall.
  • The enactment of mandatory disability hiring. As part of Colombia’s 2025 labor reform, policies forcing companies to meet a disability hiring quota, as well as training and accommodation for these new hires, are giving more people the opportunity to work in various sectors. This mandatory act is employing people who previously would have struggled to find places of work, causing the unemployment rate to decrease.
  • The enactment of new anti-discrimination policies. Another key part of the 2025 labor reform was various policies to prevent discrimination and harassment to make the workplace safer, especially for minorities. This will not only give more minorities, especially women, the chance to be hired, but it also will keep them working by helping them feel safe in the work environment.
  • Increased job availability in specific industries. Specifically, accommodation and food services, education and health care, transportation, and public administration have all contributed to the increasing job market. In addition to those, more citizens have been able to find work in the arts than in previous years.
  • Receiving outside organizational help. Specifically, nonprofits like the AVSI Foundation and Mercy Corps work to provide more job opportunities to those in need. The AVSI Foundation has educational programs and job placement help specifically targeted at low-income households and women. Meanwhile, Mercy Corps works in the agricultural sector of Colombia by helping farmers acquire land and better crops, having now supported over 3,200 farmers.

Looking Ahead

Colombia’s decreasing unemployment rate still has a long way to go to be on par with some of the surrounding countries, most notably in rural areas, which have seen much less improvement than urban ones. However, if it maintains its current decreasing rate by continuing the implementation of labor laws and giving more citizens the opportunity to work, mass unemployment in Colombia will be a thing of the past.

– Ally Jones

Ally is based in Bethany, OK, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Cuerpxs En Resistencia: Reducing Poverty in Colombia

Cuerpxs En Resistencia: Community Meals in ColombiaCuerpxs En Resistencia helps provide warm and dignified community meals in Colombia’s poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods to those in precarious and exploitative positions. Colombia’s first left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, has lifted almost 4 million people out of poverty since his inauguration in 2022. However, with criticisms of an unequal urban-rural welfare distribution and an upcoming election in May, poverty in Colombia is in the spotlight. The Borgen Project spoke with a previous volunteer of Cuerpxs En Resistencia, who helps explain the necessity of social enterprises to provide both physical resources and a sense of community and dignity in an attempt to tackle poverty in Colombia.

Poverty in Colombia

Much of the current poor economic situation in Colombia can be traced back to the U.S.-led war on drugs, where policies led to increased militarization of several key areas and increased rates of criminalization and incarceration. The consequences of these policies led to land dispossession, a decrease in rural autonomy and food sovereignty and an increase in violence and precarious employment.

Although numbers are still relatively high, since the COVID-19 pandemic and President Petro took office, poverty rates in Colombia have been on a steady decline. The most recent statistics from 2024 indicate that 31.8% of the population is below the national poverty line, while 4.5 million people (8.5%) are below the international poverty rate, calculated at living on less than $3.00 a day. Compared to figures in 2020 and 2021, at the height of the pandemic, where 39.7% of the population lived below the poverty line and 15.76% (almost 8 million people) lived on less than $3.00 a day, these figures suggest major improvements to the welfare state in Colombia under President Petro.

Rural Poverty

There does, however, remain an uneven distribution of this poverty. Around 61.5% of people living in rural Colombia are identified as poor, likely as a result of the historically disproportionate delivery of quality public services across departments and municipalities. Poverty and inequality are a particular concern in certain Colombian departments such as Nariño and La Guajira, where vulnerable groups such as Indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected.

An absence of money is not the only aspect of poverty. Multidimensional poverty takes into consideration other factors of deprivation that individuals experience. In Colombia, multidimensional poverty is assessed across five dimensions:

  • Employment
  • Housing conditions
  • Health
  • Household education
  • Children’s or youth’s conditions

The National Administrative Department of Statistics published the most recent report on multidimensional poverty in Colombia in 2024 and found that in 2023, around 12% of the population was identified as multidimensionally poor. This means that in addition to receiving less than $3.00 a day, they and their households have little to no basic education and poor access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and electricity. The World Bank reported that by 2024, this percentage had reduced to 8.76%.

Cuerpxs En Resistencia: Bodies in Resistance

The Borgen Project spoke with Sofia, who has previously volunteered with Cuerpxs En Resistencia, a social enterprise helping to fight poverty in Colombia. Cuerpxs En Resistencia translates to “Bodies in Resistance,” with the “x” in “cuerpxs” indicating inclusivity to all types of bodies. The organization describes itself as a grassroots nonprofit social, community, political, artistic and academic organization that fights for sexual and bodily emancipation. It focuses on the intersections of class, gender and disability to advocate for the ways in which oppressive systems and policy changes do not affect everyone equally. Its work ranges from raising awareness about the lived experience of intersecting forms of oppression to community projects such as providing safe spaces and community meals in Colombia.

Sofia volunteered with Cuerpxs En Resistencia in one of the particularly poor neighborhoods of Colombia’s capital city, Bogota, called Santa Fe. She emphasizes how poverty in Colombia is not simply the lack of money but also leads to an increased sense of dehumanization due to limited access to other human rights, such as access to water and a lack of resources and organizations to turn to in times of need. She also recalls how common gun violence and the use of serious drugs were in Santa Fe as a result of decades of conflict.

Due to these local conditions, many individuals in Santa Fe are forced into exploitative and precarious job situations. Recognizing the need for help, Cuerpxs En Resistencia helped create a community-funded project to form a safe and welcoming community, providing the people of Santa Fe a safe space to receive a free, warm community meal, as well as entertainment, with the goal of improving the lives, health and dignity of those facing multidimensional poverty in Colombia. A diverse group of people attended these community meals — from young children to people in their 70s facing homelessness.

Looking Ahead

Sofia stressed that President Petro has given her and many people in Colombia hope for reducing poverty across the country. Petro has focused on the concept of dignity alongside tangible measures to help those facing poverty. While the work of grassroots projects such as the community meals provided by Cuerpxs En Resistencia is an important lifeline, systemic changes such as those implemented by President Petro are also necessary to drive broader change.

– Stephanie Gable

Stephanie is based in Wales, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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4 UK Charities Providing Aid in Colombia

aid in ColombiaDespite the significant strides made toward poverty reduction and the landmark 2016 Peace Agreement, inequality and violence continue to impact the lives of rural, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. These challenges have drawn the attention of international charities and aid groups focused on the region. Several of these charities are based in the U.K. and four in particular have provided significant foreign aid and assistance in Colombia.

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) has been providing aid in Colombia for more than 60 years. Through partnerships with local organizations and Indigenous leaders, it works to protect local environments, build peace and support human rights defenders and Indigenous communities. One of its most notable contributions has been supporting the people of Cajamarca in their fight against AngloGold Ashanti, one of the world’s largest mining companies.

In March 2017, 98% of Cajamarca’s residents, more than half of whom depend on farming, voted against proposed mining in the area to protect their water sources from pollution. Although the vote was legally binding, energy and government officials have tried to overturn it in favor of the mine. However, their efforts have been challenged by a legal coalition of local groups. 

These include the Cajamarca Youth Socio-Environmental Collective (COSAJUCA) and the Socio-Legal Center for Territorial Defense (SIEMBRA), both supported by CAFOD partners.

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) has operated in Colombia since 1985, providing aid, promoting peace and helping Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities preserve and protect their land. One example of its work came in 2011, when SCIAF supported COCOMOPOCA, a coalition of 43 Afro-Colombian communities. After 12 years of appeals, their application for collective legal ownership of 73,000 hectares of land in the Chocó region was approved. While SCIAF has continued supporting efforts to protect Indigenous and Afro-Colombian land, it has recently expanded its focus to the growing number of Venezuelan migrants entering Colombia. 

In 2019, SCIAF received more than $140,000 from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund for projects in Colombia. This funding provided food support to 13,259 Venezuelan migrants and nonfood items to assist 6,339 migrants traveling through the country, both 25% above projected targets. These efforts have become even more significant amid rising regional instability. Colombia already hosts around three million Venezuelan migrants and could face another large influx following recent U.S. strikes in Venezuela.

Tearfund

Tearfund is a Scottish-based charity that has provided aid in Colombia since 1980, with assistance ranging from supporting Venezuelan migrants to responding to natural disasters. Through collaboration with its local church partner, CORSOC and funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, Tearfund has provided 500 families with basic household goods and food. It has also offered medical assistance to 1,175 people at four church locations across Colombia.

Additionally, 24,000 children of Venezuelan migrants are now Colombian citizens as a result of campaigns supported by Tearfund. In recent weeks, catastrophic flooding in northern Colombia has heavily affected the Córdoba region, where officials report that 156,000 people have been impacted and 80% of the territory remains underwater following heavy rainfall. In response, a network of local churches that participated in Tearfund’s Transforming Communities program has helped more than 3,000 people rebuild their lives, including 700 families.

Christian Aid

Christian Aid has supported local communities and strengthened resilience among Indigenous groups for more than 20 years by helping them secure land and territorial rights. One of its most significant achievements came in 2016, when it partnered with the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIJP) to help obtain a collective land title for Afro-descendant communities in the Naya River basin. The title recognizes the land rights of 52 communities that have lived there since the 17th century.

The agreement secured 177,817 hectares of land for 18,000 beneficiaries, marking a powerful milestone 15 years after the Naya Massacre, when right-wing paramilitaries killed 25 civilians in the town of Alto Naya.

Future Efforts

While the aid provided by these four U.K. charities has helped reduce economic gaps between urban and rural areas, more must be done to address the inequality that makes Colombia the second most unequal country in Latin America. The U.K. continues to support efforts in Colombia and has called for faster implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement. 

– Sean Welsh

Sean is based in Haywards Heath, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Relocation of Poverty in Colombia

Poverty in colombiaPoverty in Colombia has shifted geographically, moving away from major cities and increasingly concentrating in rural and coastal areas. Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) confirms that rural areas have a 41% poverty rate compared to urban poverty, which is 30%. As a whole, 33% of Colombia is experiencing monetary poverty, the classification that determines the basic income and consumption minimum for day-to-day life. However, DANE claims that 65% of the country is vulnerable to poverty.

HelpAge International

The Borgen Project spoke with Daniela Vasquez Moncaleano, project officer for HelpAge International.

Moncaleano works for HelpAge International in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. A city once rumored to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world during the 1990s has since transformed into a thriving, tourist-friendly capital and one of the most developed cities in Colombia.

Specifically, HelpAge International is a nongovernmental organization that aims to support the aging population by protecting its rights and helping it live healthy, fulfilling lives away from poverty and homelessness. Moncaleano is a project officer for the organization and works explicitly on poverty-prevention projects.

Observed Changes in Poverty

She has observed a decrease in poverty. “Yes, poverty has decreased in Colombia.” Statistical poverty reduction suggests that its steadily declining rate will yield long-lasting positive effects.

A primary reason for the poverty decrease is Colombians moving out of rural areas and into city life. “There is internal immigration that is heading to cities like Cali. But not many migrate to Bogota.” Many people who are experiencing poverty move to urban areas for job opportunities and income.

Common Misconceptions About Poverty

“There are more forms of poverty than just monetary poverty,” says Daniela Vasquez Moncaleano, a manager who works for HelpAge International, a nongovernmental organization that supports the elderly experiencing poverty. Moncaleano explains that there are two main types of poverty. The most common type is monetary poverty, a measuring system that financially classifies households by income. Then there is multidimensional poverty, which is difficult to measure since it considers many aspects beyond finances, such as education, health care, sanitation and environmental safety.

“Multidimensional standards are important to consider,” Moncaleano says. Poverty is experienced differently depending on the situation and geography. For instance, rural areas grow their own food, whereas urban areas buy groceries from supermarkets. In other words, rural areas are not poor in access to food like urban areas are; instead, rural areas are poor in resources such as access to local schools or hospitals.

Hope for Addressing Poverty in Colombia

To explore this broader national shift, Daniela Vasquez Moncaleano has shed light on the evolving landscape of poverty in Colombia and provided a human lens through which to understand its many dimensions. “I have so much hope for poverty reduction.” Moncaleano began working with HelpAge International because she believed in the Colombian community and the power of generations working together. “When the skies are gray, you can make the sun appear.”

Solutions to Poverty Reduction

Moving forward, Colombia will continue to reduce poverty but may have some gray-sky days. Moncaleano suggests two solutions to reduce the poverty rate. Her expertise lies in the elderly, and she suggests creating aging-friendly cities. Moncaleano has shared that there are few job opportunities or activities for the elderly past the age of 40.

The creation of more jobs or community-based events for elders can potentially provide income and purpose and reduce poverty among the elderly population. “The elderly always want to work. They want to feel life and want to feel productive.”

– Mireya Aguilar

Mireya is based in Layton, UT, USA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Sustainability in the Wake of the Colombian Armed Conflict

Sustainability in the Wake of the Colombian Armed ConflictIn the Colombian armed conflict, land ownership and agricultural strongholds for rebel forces were a form of political power. The peace owed to the 2016 disarmament of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has since raised questions over state policies of sustainability. The Borgen Project spoke with Dr Camilo Uribe Botta and assessed the role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to find out.

In the last decade, Bogota was the site of a critical period in contemporary Colombian history – the 2016 peace settlement where the revolutionary FARC guerrilla group agreed terms with the government to demobilize. The FARC’s long history of violent struggle revolved around agrarian reform. Aligning with a communist ideology, land rights and agricultural communes were central to FARC policy in the Colombian hinterlands. Their strategic aim was to ensure that Colombia’s poor had access to land rights. In the aftermath of 2016, a fiercely contested debate surrounding the environmental impact of deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions has been topical. Some argue that the FARC were environmentally conscious in ways the Colombian government has not been. On the other hand, the role of peaceful humanitarian organizations, such as the UNDP, have been successful in their efforts to improve Colombian sustainability.

2016 as a Turning Point or a Step Backwards?

The FARC-EP disarmament in 2016 provoked a debate over whether the signed peace agreement was really a turning point in the wider narrative surrounding the Colombian armed conflict. Teaching Fellow Dr Camilo Uribe Botta, an environmental history specialist at the University of Warwick, reveals the issues that have plagued ongoing land dispute debates in spite of political tensions.

“This isolation of rural areas in Colombia does not mean they are pristine lands. On the contrary, they remain at the center of disputes over land ownership and exploitation between big companies, large landowners, rural inhabitants, Indigenous communities and armed groups. Illegal mining, logging and deforestation are significant challenges.” — Dr. Camilo Uribe Botta, Oct. 28, 2025.

Rural land ownership and legal property rights have long been geographical sites of contestation between a variety of actors. However, in 2021, the government recorded “174,000 hectares deforested in 2021” heavily concentrated in the Amazon region of Colombia – a region of beauty renowned for biodiversity and identified by climate activists as an area which needs legislative protection. This statistic appears to lend weight to those who believe that FARC occupied the Colombian hinterland and limited deforestation levels comparable to the post-peace period. In reality, these claims have been found to be false.

Legacy

The enduring legacy of the revolutionary group continues to prove detrimental to the environment through an offshoot of dissident factions that have emerged as a result of the 2016 peace agreement. Hostility and violence toward farmers has continued in rural regions of Colombia, with these groups using forces of intimidation and extortion to coerce local communities into the practice of deforestation. Dr. Uribe Botta mentioned that more than “350 ecological leaders” had been assassinated in the country since 2018, making it clear that state solutions to the Colombian armed conflict have proved dangerous. The role of the UNDP in preserving peace across the region has continued to accentuate with the coinciding fatalities and discontented sentiment as a result of government action. Sustainability and peace are therefore interlinked entities that separate the politics of FARC disarmament from any correlation with an improvement in sustainability.

The UNDP: Protecting the People, the Andes and the Amazon

Dr. Uribe Botta fears the violence toward state-appointed environmental leaders is an enduring legacy of the Colombian armed conflict. The preservation of the natural world and Colombia’s beauty also has hugely positive implications for the diverse population that lives amongst it. This is greatly realized in the priorities driven by the UNDP, which have resulted in the World Bank branding Colombia as the nation “leading the path toward sustainability in Latin America.”

The year 2022 marked a stellar period in environmental progress within Colombia because a green taxonomy system was implemented nationwide. This initiative champions economic activity through a system of green bonds granted to local businesses. The money must align with the sustainability targets set by the government and whilst these measures may appear restrictive to a free market economy, Colombia’s GDP actually rose by 8.5% in the first quarter of 2022. Unlike during the Colombian armed conflict, national policy, which has consulted with international organizations, has sought to depoliticize environmental issues effectively.

The UNDP has liaised with local stakeholders to ensure the aforementioned green taxonomy system continues to prevail. Within the indigenous communities of Colombia, the forests have a sacred dimension and adopt a position of integral cultural importance. The Indigenous Communities for the Forests was set up alongside UNDP representatives, designed to preserve the cultural heritage of the Andes. In the highlands of Nukanchipa, “80 hectares” of the iraca plant were planted by the local community, which boosts biodiversity and the survival of the forest. From a historical perspective, the iraca ruler led the Muisca peoples through the brutalities of Spanish colonialism – the legacy of the indigenous communities lives on through the symbolic nature of the iraca plant. 

Awareness in Academia

Difficult memories of the Colombian armed conflict for Dr. Uribe Botta remain vivid. He speaks of “the news about attacks, explosions and mass kidnappings” and a childhood which involved seeing a large military presence in Bogota. 

“Our movement was minimal; people preferred not to travel by land in many parts of the country due to the risk of abduction. I remember that, for many school years, there was no school trip because the recommendation was not even to leave the city of Bogotá” — Dr. Camilo Uribe Botta, Oct. 28, 2025.

His academic journey has culminated in an impressive PhD funded by a scholarship obtained at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. Writing on the “commerce of orchids” in 19th-century Colombia, Uribe Botta has sought to trace the environmental impact of orchid extraction. His thesis presents the orchid as a marker of state success; if orchids are flourishing in a region, then sustainability practices are being implemented to effect.

Unfortunately, the orchid was at risk of extinction in the 19th Century, but important work like Uribe Botta’s has contributed greatly to the discipline of environmental history. The historiographical turn toward tracing environmental progress over time has not gone unnoticed by contemporary policymakers and activist groups. Orchids for Peace is an initiative that has targeted the conservation practices of the flower in the aftermath of the Colombian armed conflict. Exactly 1,000 planned orchid sanctuaries reflect the initiatives’ stress on “orchids as symbols of peace.”

Sustainable Goals without Political Undertones

The debate over the sustainability practices of the FARC-EP has a strong political edge. Placing the Colombian armed conflict at the heart of climate-related issues has resulted in a violent competition for land and resources post-2016. These disputes have resulted in an alarming rate of deforestation in deliberate opposition to the national state policy. Despite the unstable political climate in the aftermath of the Colombian armed conflict, the nation has made significant progress toward preserving its natural beauty, diverse communities and unique biodiversity. Importantly, these changes were sparked by nongovernmental actors.

The UNDP continues to work alongside local communities to protect their social and environmental interests. This has yielded fantastic results in relation to the nation’s GDP, as hailed by the World Bank. In addition to these measures, the intellectual field of environmental history continues to promote the positives of Colombian sustainability by highlighting important lessons learnt from the past. The cohesion between nonprofit workers, international organizations and environmental scholars has formed the basis of successful progress toward a greener, peaceful Colombia.

– Ash Fowkes-Gajan

Ash is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Post-Conflict Reforestation in Colombia

How Post-Conflict Reforestation in Colombia is Bringing Reconciliation and Economic Opportunity Deep in the Colombian Amazon, where only recently thick tree canopies concealed guerrilla movements, a different kind of revolution is taking root. The 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) brought a formal end to a decades-long conflict that killed 450,000 people and displaced millions. Yet peace brought an unexpected environmental crisis. In 2017, almost 225,000 hectares were destroyed, accounting for 2.6% of global deforestation for that year, as armed groups and land grabbers moved into areas once exclusively controlled by FARC. These groups cleared forests at an unprecedented pace for cattle ranching and illegal money-making operations.

Furthermore, when displaced communities returned after the peace agreement, many found land scarred by conflict and depleted by unsustainable cultivation. As a response, many have been driven to clear more forest in order to sustain their families through cattle ranching. Cattle ranching remains the single biggest cause of deforestation.

However, former guerrillas currently work alongside conflict victims to plant trees and rebuild their communities. Post-conflict reforestation and agroforestry schemes can simultaneously restore the environment, foster reconciliation and tackle rural poverty, particularly for those returning from displacement. The advancement of this tripartite process is vital for ensuring lasting peace.

From Combatants to Conservationists

At the Communitarian Multiactive Cooperative of the Common (Comuccom), near Puerto Guzmán, 24 former FARC combatants are working toward an ambitious goal: planting 1 million trees across the Colombian Amazon. Duberney López Martínez, who joined FARC at just 13, now leads the effort at 33. He tends to the 250,000 trees ready for planting in their nursery, each one a small act of reparation after decades of conflict.

Beyond post-conflict reforestation, Comuccom leads the Network of Amazonic Communitarian Nurseries, connecting 12 organizations across Colombia’s “Arc of Deforestation.” They regenerate soils exhausted by cattle grazing and coca cultivation, cleanse water sources contaminated by mercury from illegal gold mining and reconstruct ecological corridors for jaguars and endangered bird species. This contributes to food security and socio-economic stability through the creation of new jobs.

Women Leading the Eco-Peace Movement

In Caquetá, women ex-combatants are pioneering their own approach through ASMUPROPAZ (Association of Women Producers of Peace Essences). Founded in 2017, the organization embodies what they call the “Eco-Peace Nexus,” the recognition that healing the land and healing communities are interconnected endeavors that must happen together.

ASMUPROPAZ offers literacy programs, vocational training and technical agricultural skills while implementing sustainable farming, post-conflict reforestation efforts and the production of natural plant-based products. These initiatives create economic independence while addressing deforestation and environmental degradation that threaten the region’s future.

Carolina Aldana, one of ASMUPROPAZ’s youngest members, captures their vision: “Our work shows how caring for the environment can bring people together and create lasting peace. By protecting the land we all depend on, we’re also building a future where former combatants and the community can thrive side by side.”

Addressing the Root Cause

Having acknowledged that unequal land distribution and rural poverty have fueled five decades of war, the Colombian government under new President Gustavo Petro is now prioritizing rural reform. From 2017 to 2024, nearly 3 million hectares were formalized for rural inhabitants who had farmed without legal recognition, while nearly 130,000 hectares were distributed to new beneficiaries. The effects of this turnaround came swiftly. By 2023, Colombia achieved a 36% reduction in deforestation, the lowest level in 23 years.

“Rural reform is clearly moving to the center of efforts to build a more peaceful and prosperous Colombia,” declared Carlos Ruiz Massieu, United Nations  (U.N.) special representative overseeing peace verification. The government’s commitment represents recognition that lasting peace requires addressing the structural economic causes of the country’s conflict.

Research confirms the multiplied benefits. Surveys of 429 farmer households practicing cacao agroforestry in Caquetá and 500 in César found that silvopastoral systems and the reintroduction of native species increased spaces for dialogue and decreased conflicts over natural resources. Furthermore, they have delivered socio-economic stability through job creation and strengthened social cohesion through collaborative land management.

Progress So Far

On a wider scale, reintegration statistics tell an encouraging story. Of the nearly 14,000 former combatants who entered the reintegration process, 85% remain engaged. More remarkably, 10,900 now participate in productive projects that provide income and purpose, while 39% of those laying down their weapons have now received university degrees.

Perhaps the most profound transformation occurs through “Restorative Mingas,” communal task forces pioneered by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). These gatherings bring together conflict victims and former FARC combatants to address specific needs within the community and rebuild community infrastructure together. This demonstrates that reconciliation can be supported by development initiatives that empower communities and unite people around shared goals.

Kristina Lyons, an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania who has spent two decades in the region, summarizes: “The ecological restoration of the Amazon has deep significance for healing relations between humans ruptured by the conflict.”

Replicable Lessons for Other Nations

For other post-conflict countries, Colombia offers hard-won lessons. Through grassroots participation and innovative approaches that prioritize dignity, champion women’s leadership and weave together environmental restoration with poverty alleviation, the country demonstrates how former adversaries can forge a shared, sustainable future.

Challenges remain, however. Illicit economies are still in operation and violence continues in some regions, particularly by groups such as the EMC that rejected peace talks and have filled the vacuum of violence left by departing FARC combatants. Continuing dialogue between local communities and the Bogotá government calls for an improved land registration system and government follow-through in its regulation of illegal activities. Yet Colombia shows that trees planted with intention can become instruments of peace and pathways out of poverty.

– Caroline Sheehan

Caroline is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Farming for Peace: SDG 2 in Colombia

SDG 2 in ColombiaSDG 2 is a development goal set by the U.N. to create a “world free of hunger by 2030.” Global food insecurity has been increasing alarmingly since 2015, caused by factors like the pandemic, war and deepening global wealth inequality. The U.N. reports that in 2023, 2.3 billion people faced food insecurity, increasing from 383 million in 2019.

As promoted by the U.N., SDG 2 requires coordinated national efforts to alleviate hunger. Reform and investment in sectors such as agriculture and farming can break rural poverty cycles by offering employment, opportunity and building food security during disasters and violence.

Colombia’s Poverty Problem

Despite Colombia’s status as an upper-middle-income country, food insecurity and poverty are critical issues, particularly in rural areas. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that in 2025, 25% of the population is food insecure. Many rural Colombians rely on farming to make a living.

Yet, structural challenges and the prevalence of drug production often make this livelihood unstable. As the Colombian Council of Ministers stated, 1% of landowners control the Casa de Nariño, 65% of fertile farming land. Lower-income farmers are often given no legal or formal recognition of their lands.

Due to Colombia’s terrain, many farming communities are remote, with limited infrastructure, investment and access to opportunities. Faced with this, many Colombians become trapped in the cycle of growing the more accessible and demanded coca plant, used to make cocaine, as an option for survival. Coca displaces crops, reduces local food availability and deepens drug-related violence and displacement, contributing to the cycle of food insecurity and poverty.

Creating Change

Introduced in February 2025, President Gustavo commenced the initiative “Pact for Land and Life: Revolution for Life.” It addresses inequalities and promotes rural livelihoods through agricultural reform and farming. The pact focuses on land redistribution and the eradication of coca production.

The program offers farmers financial incentives to transition to sustainable crops such as coffee, sugarcane and livestock. Transition is assisted with technical training, funding and equipment, with some towns requiring infrastructure such as new roads to improve market access. This promotes food security by giving farmers the dignity and opportunity to start again, earn money more safely and trade within the law.

This creates a stronger relationship between rural farmers and the government, boosting the likelihood of further investment and infrastructure in rural communities. It would also stop the prevalence of drug production and the associated violence that it brings.

While the threat of drug violence, difficulties in accessing remote regions and the challenge of generating adequate funding have slowed government plans, nonprofit organizations such as Mercy Corps have stepped in. They provide essential support in alleviating food insecurity.

The Work of Mercy Corps

Since 2005, Mercy Corps has worked in Colombia to tackle the root of coca cultivation, focusing on sustainable agriculture, land formalization and economic inclusion. In rural, impoverished and conflict-affected regions like Catatumbo, where farmers are forced to rely on coca to get by, Mercy Corps helps farmers transition to legal and sustainable forms of income.

Through initiatives such as ALGO Nuevo, more than 3,000 farmers have replaced more than 1,800 hectares of coca with crops such as coffee and yucca. The charity also works alongside the National Land Agency and local governments to develop marginalized groups’ property rights and reduce land formalization costs.

Conclusion

The effect of agricultural focus on reform in Colombia shows the potential of farming in alleviating food insecurity and achieving SDG 2. Land redistribution, coca eradication and training have provided invaluable socioeconomic opportunities to the nation’s most marginalized and vulnerable groups. It builds greater stability, promotes peace and builds resistance to occurrences of violence and displacement, as well as facilitating individuals to have dignified work.

Colombia serves as a case study for the coordinated efforts required for SDG 2 and how farming unlocks a new reality for some of the world’s most impoverished and remote communities.

– Mia Keen

Mia is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr