The Red Antorchas project in Colombia
Threatened lagoon, starving fishermen and cheap palm oil in Colombia
For the Afro-African farming communities in Colombia, the "good life" is not a state of luxury, but a life of dignity, harmony, and security. A good life requires peace, security, and spaces free from fear. Only when the weapons fall silent can children go to school without fear and freely develop their talents.
Culture, identity, and community are also crucial and must be revived and strengthened. The armed conflict has torn families apart. Peace makes it possible to celebrate Afro-Colombian traditions together again. A good life also means being able to live according to one's roots and customs without oppression. Access to one's own land ensures families' food security and strengthens their independence.
All of this is far from a given for the Afro-Colombian communities in the neglected region of Gamero, near Cartagena. Deep wounds from the past remain: this area was the site of one of the largest massacres perpetrated by paramilitaries. This, along with the presence of paramilitaries and guerrillas, coupled with displacement, has led to the partial destruction of cultural traditions and communal agricultural knowledge.
In this situation, the organization "Red Antorchas" helps Afro-Colombian youth revive their Afro-campesino culture. Alongside educational and training programs, intergenerational learning is central. The elders talk with the younger generation about myths, traditions, and agriculture to build self-confidence, identity, and security. This is based on the recognition of dignity rooted in the values of Afro-agricultural culture.
Afro-African farming culture has recently been further threatened by oil palm cultivation. A local landowner sold his property to agribusinesses who now cultivate palm oil plantations. Smaller landowners have also been pressured to sell their land. Many now work as day laborers on the large plantations. The primary focus is profit from palm oil production.
This has consequences for the lagoon's ecosystem: because oil palm cultivation requires a lot of water, the companies blocked the lagoon's inflow, depriving it of fresh water and causing the soil to dry out. This, combined with the use of pesticides, is leading to the lagoon's demise. And with it, the livelihoods of the local people are disappearing. Many fish species have already become extinct.
In 2022, the Colombian Ministry of the Environment pledged to take action to promote tourism, protect the ecosystem, and ensure food security for the population, but apparently not much has been seen.
In any case, Las Antorchas is working to raise awareness among young people about the dangers and their rights – in this case, the right to a healthy environment. For example, endangered plants are documented in photography courses, and the problems are spread through songs. There is also now a farmers' and fishermen's association. However, resistance is not without its dangers, as the large landowners don't shy away from murder. The role of us consumers in the Global North should not be forgotten in this project. The demand for palm oil remains high in Germany as well, and palm oil ends up in food, cosmetics, and even animal feed – a lucrative business for some, but also poverty, environmental pollution, and violence for others worldwide.
About our project partner La Red Antorchas (The Network of Torches)
The Red Antorchas association is a socio-cultural organization that operates in the north of the province of Bolivar.
Further information on individual activities of Red Antochas can be found at Terre des Hommes (German) as well as on their Instagramand YouTube channels (both Spanish).
Further information
The detailed radio and text report “The dark side of the palm oil industry in Colombia” on Deutschlandfunk Kultur shows how Colombia is massively relying on the raw material, while environmentalists warn of monocultures and water pollution.
The analysis “Colombia: Palm of Hope, Palm of Problems” on amerika21 sheds light on the rapid boom of the last two decades as well as the associated social and environmental conflict.
A database from the US-based web portal for nature conservation news Mongabay Latin America and the journalists' alliance "Tras las huellas de palma" (On the trail of the oil palm) documents the growing complaints about environmental destruction and the degradation of water resources caused by oil palm cultivation.
Infobox Palm Oil
- Palm oil is found in everyday products such as food, cosmetics and cleaning products.
- Colombia is the largest palm oil producer in Latin America and ranks fourth worldwide.
- Oil is often advertised as environmentally friendly because it yields a higher output per hectare than other vegetable oils. However, the large-scale cultivation of oil palms causes serious ecological and social damage.
- The use of highly toxic pesticides leads to a significant loss of biodiversity
- Monoculture oil palm cultivation is also problematic because oil palms have high water requirements. Therefore, during droughts, even less water is available for the local population and their cultivation of staple foods.
- Colombia leads the list with the highest number of pending lawsuits against palm oil companies, a total of 176 in 2020/2021. During the same period, there were only 32 sanction proceedings. Enforcement of environmental laws is inadequate.