Last year alone, at least 17 million people used the illicit drug, allegedly consuming between 700 and 800 tons of pure cocaine with a street value of at least $20 billion.

The demand for the drug comes primarily from the United States and Europe, but South America — particularly Brazil — has also grown into a major consumption market.

Prevalence of cocaine use per country

http://colombiareports.com/html/cocainepopularity.html

Full screen map

Almost all cocaine consumed across the globe comes from Colombia, Peru and to a lesser extent Bolivia; countries where coca — the crop used for cocaine — has been common for centuries and is consumed legally by chewing the leaves or making tea.

Because of the lack of state control, the necessary amount of land is available for all kinds of illegal or informal activity.

Colombian coca farmers use approximately an accumulated area of between 69,000 hectares (266.5 mi²) and 112,000 hectares (432 mi²) to produce the country’s cocaine.

The UN estimates that some 64,500 Colombian farming families, a population of more than 300,000, live off coca.

These families receive on average little less than $1,200 a month from selling coca, which sells at a little more than a dollar per kilo, depending on the region.

To produce one kilo of cocaine some 125 kilos of coca is needed, which would cost a local drug lab $137.50. Once the lab has turned the coca leaves first into coca paste, then into coca base and ultimately into real cocaine, the value will have increased to $2,269.

By the time it gets to the street in, for example the United States, that kilo of cocaine will provide $60,000 in revenue. In Australia this could be as much as $235,000.

A resilient industry

Authorities are trying to curb coca cultivation by eradicating plants and, until recently, spraying chemicals over areas where coca fields are most prevalent.

Nevertheless, Colombia last year had a potential cocaine production of 487 tons, more than half of what is consumed globally.

According to Colombia’s Defense Ministry, it destroyed more than 65,000 hectares of coca in 2014. This it likely inaccurate as it would be almost the entire area used for coca cultivation.

It is safe to expect that next year’s coca cultivation will only see an increase or decrease of several thousands of hectares.

Colombia does not have an extensive crop substitution program like Peru, meaning some farmers continue cultivating coca after their current harvest has been destroyed.

MORE: http://colombiareports.com/drug-trafficking-in-colombia/
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000