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Amigos de la Hoja de Coca: history of a pioneering coca leaf fair-trade

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1995 – 20052024
This is a masterpiece for all ENCOD’s friends and supporters ; A real piece about ENCOD history and attempt to keep the experience alive and make it possible for the future… Thanks to the magazin Drugs, habits and Social policy and its editing team for keeping the importance of the subject and the publishing of it. Please download, read, spread and share this very very nice article. Click here to get all articles published.

Amigos de la Hoja de Coca: history of a pioneering coca leaf fair-trade

Farid Ghehiouèche, Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli 

Drugs, Habits and Social Policy

ISSN: 2752-6739

Article publication date: 29 July 2024 

Issue publication date: 28 November 2024

Abstract

Purpose

The leaves of the Erythroxylum “coca” plant are a well-known food, beverage, and nutraceutical in their native Andean region. A decade ago, the European non-profit “Amigos de la Hoja de Coca” (Friends of the Coca Leaf) operated a short-lived fair-trade in raw coca leaves between Bolivia and the European Union. The chronicles of this initiative can be insightful, as interest in natural, wellness, and self-care products continues rising in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical review of the inception, and documentation of the organisation of the scheme and its outcome, via all primary sources available.

Findings

From the 1990s to the early 2010s, civil society groups organised several campaigns to normalise coca leaf in Europe, finding echo at the European Parliament, culminating in 2012-2013 when a periodical distribution system was set-up: growers in Bolivia shipped 150 g. coca leaf packets directly to Friends of the Coca Leaf members in Europe. Initially, most parcels reached their recipients without issue but after technical hurdles and reduced political support, the scheme was eventually discontinued.

Originality/value

European civil society campaigns surrounding coca have been poorly documented. Historically, Friends of the Coca Leaf emerged alongside Cannabis social clubs, but only the latter has prospered. While Friends of Coca Leaf was short-lived, its political outcomes (both at the institutional level and via a fair and do-it-yourself trade initiative) may prove inspirational to current drug policy reform discussions.

Keywords

Citation

Ghehiouèche, F. and Riboulet-Zemouli, K. (2024), “Amigos de la Hoja de Coca: history of a pioneering coca leaf fair-trade”, Drugs, Habits and Social Policy, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 155-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/DHS-10-2023-0040

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