Nature and Society in Sacred Balance

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The Arhuaco people of Colombia are one of four indigenous groups of coffee producers whose sustainable practices go well beyond marketing strategies. Maintaining balance with nature is their life philosophy, their cultural identity. Nature and society as a unity are ruled by a single sacred law to preserve and protect equilibrium and harmony in themselves and the world around them.

By Kelly Stein

We believe that we, from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the heart of the world, are the guardians. My dream is to tell everyone the history of my people and spread a very important message: this is the time to take care of our home, Earth”, says the Arhuaco leader, Mr. Jorge Edgar Paez. Understanding that environment and human race are part of the same living system is one of the main lessons passed by generations as the ancient wisdom.

According to the Arhuaco people, any activity and behavior cause what they call the “law origin”, a green philosophy that rules the connection between mankind, animals, water sources, nature in general and the cycles of stars and planets. This belief unites four different ethnicities - Arhuacos, Koguis, kankuamos, Wiwas – and some peasants from Sierra Nevada.

Together, they are investing energy in sustainable programs and projects which promote the care and conservation of natural resources. Protecting their biome is priority in agricultural activities and, at the same time, they teach to the new generations all the ancestral heritage of this ancient culture. It is important to mention that the handpicked coffee is one of the several harvest collected in this area. Jorge says that coffee empowers their community with its profitable income. “With this money we can invest in other plantations and diversify our agricultural activities”, says.

Polyculture is the key for Sierra Nevada farming practices. In only one piece of land you can find different types of plantation such as: Malanga (kind of edible root), arracacha (vegetable root that intermediates between the carrot and celery), banana tree, cabbage, coriander, tomato, cucumber, yam, madarin, orange, and potato.

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A group of 700 families is organized by the Association of Indigenous and Peasant Producers Agro Ecological of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá, ASOANEI, (La Asociación de productores Agroecológicos Indígenas y campesinos de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta y Serranía del Perijá) since 1996. Distributed in six different regions, and 32 sub-regions, each family works in small properties with an average of three to five hectares in the Caribbean lands, north of Colombia.

ANEI in the Chibchan language means “delicious” The brand was created by the indigenous groups to enable the sales. It is commercialized in different locations throughout Colombian territory such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, and Santa Marta. Jorge told proudly that their coffee reached further horizons and now they also sell directly to different countries in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Most of them are bought by small coffee shops that are interested in acquiring organic quality coffee and support the story behind the beans: the ancient indigenous culture in Sierra Nevada.

The commitment of ecofriendly practices is officially guaranteed by USA Organic and Eco Cert certification. They also hold the Fair Trade certificate as a proof that producers have been respected and the sales profits are helping to improve their quality life. JAS certification was demanded in order to reach de Japanese market and ANEI coffee also has the Café de Colombia certification, from the National Coffee Federation, in their portfolio. During an interview at ExpoEspeciales 2015, held in Bogotá, Jorge said that the best part of certifications is that they focus three important goals for the indigenous people.

“The environmental care helps us to keep harmony with nature and sustainability, enables a fair trade between mankind and our lands, water and trees”. And for sure the social part of the whole process, “these help us to keep everyone united with one main goal: mankind and nature live harmonically”.

Besides coffee, the tribes’ souvenirs are also commercialized in specific shops and also via internet. Mugs, Arhuaca bags, craft items, Ayú tea (aromatic infusion of coca leaves), and panela (typical Colombian beverage that mixes coffee and pure dried sugar cane juice) are the main products nowadays. They also organize a three-day cultural tour in different indigenous villages. Called Anei Etnoturistico, the trip is designed to introduce the ancient culture of Iku Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to visitors.

It is interesting to note that during the devastating years that the coffee rust fungus ravaged Colombia little harm came to the heirloom coffees of bourbon, yellow bourbon, and caturra, grown by the Arhuacoas - testament to their centuries old practices of integrating solid waste, soil recovery, and wildlife preservation.