Coffee Defenders:
a path from coca to coffee.
In Colombia, Lavazza has embarked
on a project to convert plantations from growing
coca to growing coffee.
The documentary
Coffee Defenders: a path from coca to coffee is a production supported by Lavazza, in collaboration with director Oscar Ruiz Navia. It takes viewers on a journey through the Meta region of Colombia, where coca plantations are rife, but coffee has become a symbol of change and salvation. Landscapes that are now devoted to the cultivation of coffee stand as a testament to the power of the human will to change. They are a prize worth safeguarding and protecting.
From war to peace, from cocaine to coffee.
Learn more about Lavazza’s commitment to supporting local communities in Meta, Colombia.
Behind the scenes of the journey
Johana and Alexandra, the star and camerawoman for the documentary respectively, set out on a mission: to bring one of the coffee plants grown by Johana from Meta, in Colombia, to Catargo, in Costa Rica. Along the way, they visit places, encounter cultures and meet people who, like Johana, experience the trauma of conflict in their everyday lives, as well as the rebirth that can follow.
Take a look backstage, watch the video and discover a series of photographs from the production.
The ¡Tierra! projects
Through the ¡Tierra! Coffee Defenders projects, the Lavazza Foundation helps to improve living conditions for thousands of people, while respecting the local environment and culture. Today, Lavazza promotes a range of ¡Tierra! products, which consist entirely of crops cultivated by communities in Colombia, Honduras, Peru, Brazil, Tanzania, India, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
Find out more about Johana and Alexandra
Johana — Coffee Defender
Johana, the star of the Lavazza documentary, is a young Colombian woman who lost everything during the armed conflict with the FARC, but responded by fighting to win back control over her life and the lives of her six children.
Alexandra Roca — Camerawoman/
reporter
Alexandra Roca, the documentary’s reporter, has experience in the fields of women’s rights and movements supporting indigenous communities. After returning to Colombia to document its recovery in the wake of the armed conflict, she accompanied Johana on her tale of hardship and hope.
The Lavazza Foundation
The Lavazza Foundation promotes and finances international sustainability projects in countries where coffee-growing accounts for part of the economic activity.
It has been active in the Meta region, Johana’s homeland, since 2015, in collaboration with Carcafé Ltda. Here, it supports a development project that has led to the foundation of coffee plantations, as well as investing in training programmes and infrastructure to help citizens return to their land and reclaim their lives.
Press Kit
Download the press kit to discover all the details about Lavazza’s first documentary.
The protagonists of the documentary
Meet the main players in this extraordinary journey across Colombia: the director, Oscar Ruiz Navia, one of the most influential voices in modern Colombian cinema; Alexandra Roca, the documentary’s reporter; and Johana, our Coffee Defender.