The Rainforest Alliance is certifying 543 coffee-producing families
which are part of a project led by IOM and the private sector to
support small coffee growing families who are victim of violence in
Nariño, a region in southern Colombia.

The Rainforest Alliance, which promotes and certifies
sustainable production initiatives that preserve the biodiversity
and build good social and labour practices, is certifying the 543
families for their good environmental and social practices. 
The families are organized into 11 coffee growers associations and
pay the coffee pickers a fair salary.

With the Rainforest Alliance certification, the small coffee
growers can sell their coffee at a better price to buyers willing
to pay more for socially and environmentally responsible
products.

The project designed and implemented by IOM and Empresas de
Nariño, a renowned coffee exporting enterprise and partner
of Starbucks Coffee is funded by the Dutch Embassy in Colombia and
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It
has trained 1,960 families in best environmental, social and
technical practices for the cultivation, harvest, processing and
commercialization of their premium coffee.

The participating families have increased their revenues by
selling directly to Empresas de Nariño, which pays a fair
price and eliminates intermediaries who charge individual growers a
large percentage to handle their crops.  Starbucks customers
the world over enjoy this coffee when they order a cup of
Nariño Supremo.

"Each day there are more consumers who prefer to buy products
that protect the environment and contribute to the development of
the places of origin," says Marcelo Pisani, Chief of Mission of IOM
Colombia. "IOM is supporting these coffee growing families, working
with the private sector and international donors, to help them
increase their revenues and to protect the richness of this region,
which makes their coffee one of the most special products of
Colombia."

Between 2009 and May 2011, the 800 families that have
participated in the last phase of the project and have sold 113
tonnes of coffee earning more than US$ 500,000.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: + 57 1 639-7777

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