Colombia’s barter markets: no money = no ‘free trade’ deal banning food

(Image: Cauca Regional Indigenous Council)

Colombia’s barter markets are crucial for the preservation of crops that are part of indigenous peoples’ diets, but were banned as a consequence of a free trade deal with the United States.

Last week’s barter market in the Cauca province was attended by as many as 600 indigenous traders and representatives of nine nations from the southwest of the country, according to regional indigenous council CRIC.

Barter markets like those in the Poblazon reserve are held throughout Colombia as indigenous peoples avoid the use of money in order to preserve their traditional food crops.

Free trade = Food ban

The tradition of bartering goes back to before the Spanish introduced money, but became crucial for native Colombians’ diet after a 2011 free trade deal with the United States.

The indigenous soon found out that no trade deal is free when the government banned the commercial use of non-patented seeds.

This blanket ban included endemic food crops that are part of the diet of indigenous communities’ diet who wouldn’t dare patent a seed they believe belongs to Mother Earth.

In order to preserve their diet and prevent the extinction of endemic crop species, indigenous nations throughout Colombia strengthened their bartering practices in response.

Had they not, their traditional food crops would have gone extinct.

Anonymous indigenous trader

Food for thought

The barter markets have not just become a place where the native Colombians can exchange crops, but where ideas and knowledge are also considered a commodity.

Kokonuka elder Dario Tote

Ironically, the disastrous consequences of the trade deal with the Americans has boosted cross-country bartering practices and made Colombia’s indigenous less dependent of the money introduced by the Spanish.

Anonymous indigenous trader

Meanwhile, Colombia’s government’s is missing out on tax revenue as the indigenous idea of free trade doesn’t involve money, and without money you can’t collect sales tax.

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