Coca and Sugarcane Cultivation in La Convención
Sustenance, Labor, and Realities of the Andean Past
Introduction
The productive history of the La Convención sector, in the Cusco region, is deeply linked to ancestral crops that enabled the population's subsistence and sustained major labor systems in ancient times. Among them, the cultivation of the coca leaf and sugarcane held a central place not only in the local economy but also in the social, labor, and cultural organization of the region.
From El Triunfo Eco Hacienda's perspective, it is essential to understand this historical reality to value the path traveled and reflect on the social transformations that today seek more just and sustainable models.
🍃 Coca: Sacred Crop and Pillar of the Andean Economy
During the Inca era, the coca leaf was considered a sacred crop. Its use was closely related to:
- 🙏 Religious rituals
- 💊 Medicinal practices
- 💪 Physical endurance of workers
To help mitigate hunger, fatigue, and cold, allowing workers to endure forced labor imposed by the state and later colonial work systems.
In regions like La Convención, its cultivation helped sustain populations that had to face long workdays in mines, workshops, and imperial roads. Its production did not respond to a free market but to an economy of control and redistribution.
🍬 Sugarcane and Cañazo as a Form of Payment
With the arrival of the colonial period, the productive system changed but maintained exploitative practices inherited from the past. Landowners in the La Convención area promoted extensive cultivation of sugarcane, from which cañazo (artisanal alcoholic beverage) was obtained.
Consumer product and form of payment
Workers received cañazo as partial or full payment
Perpetuated dependency and social control
This practice reflected a harsh reality: work was not always compensated with money but with products that ensured immediate subsistence while perpetuating dependency and social control.
⛏️ Forced Labor and Cultural Roots
Both during the Inca era and the colonial period, the local population was subject to forced labor systems, such as the mita, which required men and women to travel to mines, workshops, and haciendas in different areas of Cusco.
Impact on Local Culture:
- 📉 Normalization of hard and poorly paid work
- 🚫 Few opportunities for social mobility
- ⚙️ Agricultural production became a tool for economic and social control
The production of coca and sugarcane helped sustain this system, ensuring that workers could endure exhausting workdays. Over time, these practices became ingrained in local culture.
💭 Reflection from El Triunfo Eco Hacienda
Remembering this history does not seek to romanticize the past, but to understand the reality that entire generations lived in La Convención.
- ✅ These crops were key elements for population survival
- ⚠️ They were also symbols of an unequal system
Today, Knowing This History Allows Us To:
- 🌍 Revalue the territory and collective memory
- 🙏 Honor the efforts of our ancestors
- 🌱 Build productive models based on respect, sustainability, and social justice
🌱 A Legacy That Invites Change
The cultivation of coca and sugarcane profoundly marked the economic and social history of La Convención. They were products that sustained entire populations in contexts of forced labor and limited freedom.
Understanding this historical reality is essential to not repeat it and to drive initiatives that transform the past into learning.
From El Triunfo Eco Hacienda, this historical memory becomes an opportunity to rethink rural development, honoring the past while betting on a more human, conscious, and sustainable future for new generations.
Learn firsthand about La Convención's history and discover how the past can inspire a more just and sustainable future.