Some 200 demobilized persons and farmers, all members of an
agricultural cooperative in northern Colombia, have generated
revenues of USD 1.5 million in the past three years through the
Trabajo Asociado Humánitas cooperative.

The cooperative, created in 2007 with IOM's technical assistance
and the financial support of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), is providing employment and
income generation opportunities for demobilized persons in the
process of reintegrating into civilian life and for poor farmers in
the Catatumbo region in the department of Norte de Santander in the
Colombia's northeast, a region notorious for growing illegal
crops. 

A large segment of the population in Catatumbo earned a living
until the 1990s by growing coca and participating in other illegal
activities, including illegal armed groups (guerilla and
paramilitary) that operated in the area.

In the 1990s, the Colombian Government with support from the
international community created a "Plante", a programme which
provided incentives for farmers to move from illegal crops to the
planting of African Palm and other legal crops.  As a result,
more than 20,000 hectares of African Palm were planted in the
region.

The Cooperative provides its members labour and equipment for
agricultural projects in the area, mainly African Palm used in
commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. 

For Fausto Calderon, who was demobilized from the United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) the income provided to
participants has also contributed to improving relations with the
local community.

"In the beginning there were problems because the local
community was not happy; they said it was a cooperative of
demobilized people which created fear in some and resentment in
others.  Then, little by little, we created links with the
local farmers and acceptance of the cooperative began to
increase.  Now we use local workers," explains Calderon.

With profits from the project, and with the support of the local
governments and the international community, the Cooperative
recently bought 114 hectares of land to plant cocoa and African
Palms. 

Each member of the cooperative is donating a day's work each
week to plant the new land, reassured by the fact that they will
become producers and receive income from their own land.

Since 2006 IOM has worked with the Colombian Government in the
reintegration of some 51,000 persons demobilized from illegal armed
groups.  A fundamental part of IOM's support is creating
employment opportunities and income generation for this
population.

For additional information please contact:

Jorge Andres Gallo

IOM Colombia

Tel: (57-1) 6397777 ext 1219

E-mail: jgallo@iom.int