Six hundred indigenous organic coffee producers will be the first
to sell their products at eco-tourist stores located in national
parks, hotels and other important tourist destinations in Colombia,
thanks to a cooperation agreement between IOM and Aviatur,
Colombia's largest travel and tourism company.

The coffee growers of the Asociación Anei, who live in
the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain
range in the world, are the first to benefit from the recently
signed agreement.

This week, Anei began selling their organic coffee at Tayrona
National Park, coinciding with the busy Easter tourist season.

The IOM/Aviatur agreement builds on IOM's ongoing Social
Marketing Strategy, a social, economic, and eco-friendly programme
funded by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), that is helping the internally displaced and other
vulnerable communities to develop income-generating strategies and
to find national and international partners to market their
products.

As part of the social marketing strategy, IOM staff are also
providing technical advice to another community in the Sierra
Nevada that produces handmade natural soaps using local products
such as oranges, mint and eucalyptus so that these can be bought by
Aviatur for use in their eco-hotels.

Aviatur, which was established in 1957, employs more than 3,200
people today and has 249 offices in Colombia as well as operations
in Cuba, Ecuador, France, Panama, Venezuela, and the United
States.  Aviatur and its staff are committed to supporting
socially responsible initiatives that include cultural,
educational, human rights and ecologically friendly projects to
benefit the most vulnerable populations.

IOM and Aviatur are discussing other marketing opportunities for
products made by IDPs and other populations assisted by IOM.

According to official government figures, there are 2,387,538
internally displaced people in Colombia. 

For more information please contact:

Jorge Andrés Gallo

IOM Colombia

Tel: +57 1 5946410 Ext 142

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int