Press Briefing to Launch UNODC 2003 Coca Surveys for Colombia, Bolivia and Peru

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), during a press briefing in Vienna on 17 June 2004, launched the Andean Coca Surveys 2003 for Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. The main launch event took place on the same day in Washington DC, with an additional presentation at the noon briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The press briefing was chaired and moderated by Kemal Kurspahic, UNODC Spokesman. The surveys were presented by Cristina Albertin, Chief of the Latin America and Caribbean Section, UNODC, and Denis Destrebecq, Programme Management Officer, Research and Analysis Section, UNODC.

Ms. Albertin started by giving some background information on the 2003 survey. She underlined that this was the first report combining the survey results from all the three Andean countries Bolivia, Colombia and Peru accounting for the total area under coca cultivation. This was also the first nationwide report for Bolivia.

Mr. Destrebecq then took the floor and presented more detailed information on the methodology used in the three countries concerned. He explained that the results relied on satellite images, which were later verified by sample ground visits in the field, with the exception of Colombia, where ground verification had to be replaced by low altitude over-flights, due to the security situation in the country.

Giving some specific data, Mr. Destrebecq pointed out that for Colombia in 2003, 86,000 hectares of coca were cultivated, presenting a decrease by 16 per cent compared to 2002. This was the third consecutive annual decrease since 2000. As far as Peru was concerned, Mr. Destrebecq said that the total numbers in 2003 were estimated at 44,200 hectares, leading to a 5.4 per cent decline compared to the previous year. Mr. Destrebecq added that in Peru there were worrying signs that farmers could compensate the decline in coca cultivation by increasing the yield. UNODC was implementing a coca yield survey in Peru, the results of which would be available next year. In Bolivia, this was the first UNODC survey conducted jointly with the Bolivian Government. The survey showed that coca cultivation in Bolivia takes place in two regions. In 2003, according to the survey, 23,600 hectares were under coca bush cultivation, with the potential cocaine production of 60 metric tonnes. Precise comparisons with the 2002 levels were not possible, because this was the first nationwide survey. However, the figures showed worrying signs of a possible overall increase. The estimated cultivation area includes 12,000 hectares under cultivation permitted by Bolivian law for traditional uses.

Mr. Destrebecq concluded by giving some global level figures: the total area under coca cultivation in the Andean region declined by 11 per cent compared to 2002, and an impressive decline of 30 per cent since 2000. Ms. Albertin added that further socio-economical measures were needed in order to create livelihood alternatives for coca farmers.

The briefing was followed by a questions-and-answer-session. To the question on how many tonnes of cocaine had actually been available on the streets, Mr. Destrebecq answered that this was very difficult to say, because of the multiplicity of people involved in the supply chain and due to the different additives used.

Answering the question about the amount of money coca farmers were loosing with the cultivation of alternative crops, Ms. Albertin said that the differences in the three respective countries had to be considered. In Colombia and Bolivia, people only had access to alternative development after they had completely abandoned coca cultivation. In Peru, however, the Government did not believe in eliminating a crop, before a new one was ready to be harvested. One of the main objectives to cultivate coca for coca farmers in the first place was, of course, the price rise of cocaine in the 1980-ies and 1990-ies. Besides the economic factor, however, a social factor had to be considered, namely, many coca farmers would actually be happy to return to coffee growing, for example, especially since coca cultivation was often associated with violence, which obviously everyone could live without.

About 15 representatives of media, NGOs and permanent missions attended the briefing. (APA, AP, EFE, AFP, ABC) Individual interviews with the ORF TV, ORF Radio International and UN Spanish radio took place after the event.