Bolivia’s Coca Cultivation Climbs 4% in 2023, Tests Government Strategy

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports Bolivia’s coca cultivation jumped 4% in 2023, hitting 31,000 hectares.

Released on February 18, 2025, in La Paz, the findings reveal a rise from 29,900 hectares in 2022, challenging Bolivia’s efforts to curb its cocaine trade role. Coca fields spread into protected areas, totaling 363 hectares across six national parks like Madidi and Isiboro Sécure.

The Yungas of La Paz grows 2%, while Cochabamba’s Tropics surges 6%, driving the national increase. Mónica Mendoza, UNODC Bolivia head, warns this threatens biodiversity and demands stronger action.

Bolivia slashes its global coca market share from 20% in 2010 to 8% in 2023, says Minister Eduardo Del Castillo. Yet, cultivation exceeds the legal 22,000-hectare limit set in 2017, with new plantings outpacing the 10,429 hectares eradicated last year.

The government targets trafficking, not the culturally vital coca leaf, pushing sustainable options like coffee farming. Historically, Bolivia’s coca hit 50,000 hectares in the 1990s, fueled by U.S. demand and eradication campaigns.

Community Control Policy

Evo Morales’ 2008 community control policy cuts it to 20,200 hectares by 2015, but growth resumes, reaching 25,500 hectares in 2019. Now, 31,000 hectares signal persistent hurdles despite regional contrasts—Colombia grows 230,000 hectares, Peru 95,000.

Locally, eradication clears 1,081 hectares in protected zones, but farmers replant faster, drawn by coca’s cash value over falling leaf prices. Bolivia also handles 95% of Peru’s cheaper coca paste, boosting local cocaine production, per a 2016 police report.

This complicates efforts to balance tradition with trafficking controls. The UNODC urges Bolivia to enforce the 22,000-hectare cap and expand alternative livelihoods for cocaleros struggling with market shifts.

Once a global cocaine hub, Bolivia now navigates a smaller role amid rising regional output. The 9,000-hectare surplus tests its unique “coca yes, cocaine no” stance. Businesses eye Bolivia’s stability, but the creeping coca fields signal risks to its ecological and economic future.

The government pushes agroforestry, yet success hinges on outpacing replanting and foreign supply chains. This story of resilience and tension unfolds as Bolivia balances heritage with hard realities.

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