help boliva, dont start a war.

darkcrow

with all this huffing and puffing from the international community (particularly usa) over the potential legalization of the growing of coca leaves in boliva i was wondering what else can be done than just destroying the plantations.

clearly there is a legitimate concern over cocaine but there are other uses for the leaf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca

according to wikipedia (take it for what you will) it says coca is also used for some flavorings in coke and also the medical industry. so maybe rather than destroying the crops and forcing poverty on the famers maybe cola companies and medical companies can either buy the crops or set up their own factories/research labs. this will benefit the companies and the country. with guarenteed buyers the farmers will be less likely to sell to drug lords/cartels etc.

maybe i just wanna live in a nice world

Commy

darkcrow wrote:

with all this huffing and puffing from the international community (particularly usa) over the potential legalization of the growing of coca leaves in boliva i was wondering what else can be done than just destroying the plantations.

clearly there is a legitimate concern over cocaine but there are other uses for the leaf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca

according to wikipedia (take it for what you will) it says coca is also used for some flavorings in coke and also the medical industry. so maybe rather than destroying the crops and forcing poverty on the famers maybe cola companies and medical companies can either buy the crops or set up their own factories/research labs. this will benefit the companies and the country. with guarenteed buyers the farmers will be less likely to sell to drug lords/cartels etc.

maybe i just wanna live in a nice world

Coke put Coca in their product to get people addicted to it, not for the flavor. I"m sure they've come up with a nice substitute...

I think the way to help Bolivia, and all of South and Central America really, is to get rid of "free trade" agreements that have been signed by the US and the countries involved. They impose unusually high taxes on natural agricultural products, on purpose.

A farmer can't make a living growing coffee beans, despite the environment being perfectly suitable for such a crop, best in the world actually. So after all these 'freee trade' agreements have been made what we've seen is a decrease in the coffee fields and increase in the coca fields...as its about 1000% more profitable to farm the latter.

And the leaders know this going in, they just have different agendas....the "preferential option for the poor" is something to be opposed at all cost.