Peru's Coca Leaf Cultivation Sees First Decline Since 2015

Peru's coca leaf growing area decreased by 2.3% in 2023 after consistent growth since 2015, according to a report by the anti-drug commission DEVIDA. Despite this decline, global demand for cocaine is still rising, with illegal production reaching record highs at over 2,700 metric tons of pure cocaine.

Peru's coca leaf growing area shrank by 2.3% in 2023, after growing every year since 2015, according to a report published on Wednesday by the country's anti-drug commission DEVIDA.

Coca leaves are traditionally chewed or made into a tea, but analysts and government officials have warned that the majority of the crops are used to make cocaine. "For the first time after seven years (of growth) we have managed to reduce the trend," said DEVIDA head Carlos Antonio Figueroa in a press conference accompanying the report's publication.

The coca plant covered an area of 92,784 hectares (358.241027 square miles) last year, compared with the 95,008 hectares registered in 2022, the report showed. Despite the decline in Peru, "in the global context, demand for cocaine continues to increase," the report said.

Illegal cocaine production in the world has hit an all-time high at over 2,700 metric tons of pure cocaine, according to the U.N. Office On Drugs And Crime's World Drug Report, published earlier on Wednesday.

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