Coffee and Colombian Identity
Finding a Sense of Place in a Globalized World
The Power of Colombian Coffee
-Garcia and Llamas, Coffee boom, Government Expenditure, and Agricultural Prices : the Colombian Experience.
When a product such as coffee has such a profound and ever changing effect on the economy, then the day to day lives of Colombian citizens are more unstable. Such instability can cause nationwide unrest, especially during difficult times. Such a product will, therefore, have an effect on how Colombians view themselves and the world around them.
Anthropological Theory Concerning Identity
-James Clifford, Routes: Travel and Translation in the Late Twentieth Century
As may be inferred from this idea, Colombian identity in the 21st century is determined by both external and internal forces of both a political and economic nature. This includes forces such as:
- The global marketplace
- Powerhouse countries such as the United States
- Internal political parties (such as the CTC)
- The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation
- The climate in both Colombia and surrounding areas
Colombian identity, or how Colombian people come to understand themselves and where they live is going to be determined at some junctures along these lines.
Not-So-Peaceful Contours of Coffee Production
Historic Occurrences of Peasant Uprisings
Racialized Divisionings of Class and Land
Modern Day Protests
Ethnographic Research
Remaining Aware of the Real Cost of Globalized Foods
Works Cited:
García García, Jorge and Gabriel Montes Llamas. Coffee boom, Government Expenditure, and Agricultural Prices : the Colombian Experience. International Food Policy Research Institute, 1988.