00:01this is Colombia's number one export coffee in 2025 it brought in more money
00:08than oil but it wasn't easy for the farmers the reason Donald Trump and his
00:13tariffs it was crazy because it created even more uncertainty in a sector
00:20already very unstable due to prices Harold Andrade is one of thousands of
00:26coffee farmers in Colombia he is passionate about his work but he's tired
00:32of seeing prices set by foreign presidents or global markets
00:39for us producers ideally we would find direct buyers for our processed
00:44products not just raw beans the reason he earns more because he adds value to his
00:52beans in Baye del Cauca he sells about 10% of his coffee directly and together
00:59with others he wants to expand that even to visiting paragliders from around the
01:04world but this isn't a solution for most Colombian coffee farmers trying to become
01:11less dependent on the US market they're still looking for answers
01:19we are focusing on Asia as an emerging market a market where people don't traditionally drink
01:26much coffee but we want to get them interested but that will take time and they can't do it
01:37without the US anyway after all a quarter of the region's exports go to North America
01:45in Baye del Cauca agribusiness dominates nothing shapes the landscape as much as sugarcane
01:55the company Rio Pila is the region's largest producer processing around 17,000 tons daily
02:05what looks like old heavy industry at first glance is actually quite modern waste products
02:11are used to generate electricity for production and thousands of households as well as ethanol for
02:17fuel Rio Pila too looked nervously toward the US last year right now the US is our main market but
02:30the EU is also important with about a 15% chair I'm a important take a mall okay Rio Pila
02:37exports sugar
02:38worldwide with the US making up 7% of its business the company expects that northern market to hold despite
02:45Trump but when producers look for new markets they tend to look closer to home toward an old partner
02:53Venezuela this is a real opportunity we used to be there now we're looking at how we can win that
03:05market back Venezuela's market is well known to companies and traders in Baye del Cauca and full
03:15of potential until 2008 Venezuela was the most important trading partner for Baye del Cauca 25% of
03:24exports went there in Baye del Cauca companies know the risk of relying on one country so they're looking
03:33for new markets for sugar and their top export coffee
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