Protecting biodiversity and building peace with honey

The participants of the Alternative Rural School (ERA) of Anorí sold their first batch of honey. There are 250 kg that are marketed under the brand name "Miel de la Montaña - Voluntad de Paz". These 29 ex-combatants, organized in the Multiactive Cooperative for the Development of Northeast Antioquia (COOMULDESNA), have been supported by PASO Colombia in their beekeeping project since February 2019.

The municipality of Anorí had been isolated by decades of violence, isolation that paradoxically was useful to protect the biodiversity of that region. With the implementation of the Peace Agreements, the community, ex-combatants and foreigners arrived to safeguard the area. This is the reason why the ERA participants prioritized beekeeping and environmental conservation activities in a 200-hectare plot of land (nearly 70% is native forest), thus protecting the ecosystem of this Colombian hotspot. PASO provided support for the establishment of 16 apiaries which, during the training and cultivation process, expanded to 32.

In this regard, Andrés Zuluaga, manager of COOMULDESNA, told Blu radio that "there is a lot of support from different sectors of society, who find out what we are doing and provide us with support with training, for example, from the Sena and other cooperation institutions. international and the delivery of the apiaries by Paso Colombia”.

By the end of 2019, the honey produced in this ERA was integrated into the " Confecciones de la Montaña " brand, which brings together multiple products made by ex-combatants. La Miel de La Montaña was sold in its entirety in less than 24 hours, thanks to the spread on its social networks.

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In Anori, peace tastes like honey