Huir, regresar y volver a empezar. Familias cafeteras y conflicto armado en Ciénaga, Magdalena

Although issues around coffee production have been extensively studied in Colombia, there are few studies on the relationship between coffee cultivation and armed conflict. This article is the product of a qualitative study with coffee growers —mainly women— from the municipality of Ciénaga (Magdalena), and contributes to analyzing the relationship between coffee and armed conflict in a local context. It shows how the latter has impacted the former as well as family incomes and wellbeing by breaking community and organizational ties and changing daily life. Additionally, it helps to understand the role of families and women in coffee production, and how they help to mitigate the armed conflict. It also shows how migrations, peasant traditions and knowledge, families, and the empowerment of women have allowed them to survive in territories affected by those dynamics and violent actors.