Colombia’s coffee region, located in the south-west of the country, was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ministry of Culture announced Monday.
A statement released by the Ministry says that the coffee zone, whose UNESCO nomination will become official on February 1, hopes to join several other Colombian sites already included in the list.
According to the Ministry, “between September and October of this year, professional delegates from the subsidiary bodies of UNESCO will visit our country to appraise the zone … It is hoped that the World Heritage Committee approves the application for inclusion in the World Heritage Site list during the meeting that will take place in 2011.”
The Ministry went on to explain that inclusion on the list will “strengthen the plans being implemented [in the region] for conservation and preservation of the coffee landscape,” in addition to bringing international recognition that will “contribute to the economic and social development of the region.”
The “Eje Cafetero” is a region that encompasses 47 municipalities from five departments, and is responsible for the majority of the coffee produced in Colombia.
Over 80,000 people are involved in the cultivation of coffee in the region.