In the end of june 2010 we launched “Plan C” with the purpose of obtaining the legal import of traditional derivates of the coca leaf in Europe.

See also the first progress report of August and October

Herewith we present you the report on the current situation of 18 September 2010

We are in the final fase of preparations of the meeting of 23 September which we will organise in collaboration with the Commission Coca and Territory of the Bolivian Senate.

We count with 40 participants, among others representatives of coca leaf producers, entrepreneurs with experience in the commercialisation of derivates, experts in several disciplines, Bolivian parliament members and authorities and representatives of embassies. Among others David Choquehuanca, minister of Foreign Affairs, Germán Loza, viceminister of Coca and Integral Development and Felipe Cáceres, viceminister of Social Defense as well as Julio Salazar, president of the Commission on Coca and Territory will intervene.

During the meeting we hope to have the results of an investigation which has been made on the content of Coca Cola, and the way in which this company decocainises the coca leaves.

In order to create concrete perspectives to commercialise coca leaves and their derivates on the international market we will present 4 strategies (and there may be more…). We will categorise these strategies according to the degree of feasibility to carry them out within the framework of international legislation.

1. Coca leaf derivates that do not serve for human consumption

Today a start could be made with the export of coca leaf products that do not serve for ingestion: for example paper, shampoo, topicals.

2. Coca leaves in their natural state

It is possible to increase the supply of coca leaves to the pharmaceutical industry, to produce medicines or the flavouring agent that is used by the Coca Cola company and others.

Also we could think of increasing the export of leaves to the north of Argentina, where coca leaf consumption is not illegal.

3. Processed – decocainised – coca leaves

it is possible to produce coca leaf products like tea, natural medicines, from which cocaine has been removed. The same process should be followed as is actually taking place in Western companies that commercialise coca leaf products, containing the flavouring agent, on the international market.

4. Coca leaf derivates that currently exist on the Bolivian market

Currently this strategy is the most difficult because of the fact that outside Bolivia and Peru, these products are considered illegal.

The idea is to create a European association of coca leaf consumers (both Andean people who live in Europe as well as europeans who are related to the Andean region) who claim their right to practice the culture in which the coca leaf plays a fundamental role.

After the meeting in the Senate several meetings are foreseen with coca leaf producers in Los Yungas and Chapare.

On 21 October, the mission will end with a visit to the Centro de Investigación Drogas y Derechos Humanos in Lima, Perú.

Afterwards the preparations will start for a hearing on a possible regulation for the production, industrialisation and commercialisation of the coca leaf in Europe, to take place in March 2011 in the European Parliament.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you wish to have more information or pass on this message to others who could be interested to support Plan C.

Many thanks for your support,

Joep Oomen and Beatriz Negrety

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