Coca: The Ancestral Plant of South America The coca is a plant with a rich and diverse history and is deeply rooted in the cultures of the indigenous peoples of South America. The history of the coca is intertwined with the civilizations of the Andes, their religion, economy, and medicine. However, in recent centuries, the coca has acquired a negative connotation due to its manufacture into cocaine, an illegal and highly addictive drug. Read the full story on ColombiaOne.com and watch the full v

Peru and Colombia are the world’s largest producers of both the coca leaf and cocaine. The latest estimates show that current coca crops could have produced some 870 tons of the drug in 2022. The surge in growth is notably in protected lands and indigenous reserves in the Amazon. | CGTN America

In the mountains of Colombia, generations of impoverished farmers turn to coca, the only crop that provides a viable income, to survive. #cocaine #cocagrower #southamerica #bigstory #features | CGTN America