Diego Fernandez Martinez

A Colombian biochemist revolutionizing coca leaf utilization to combat deforestation

Diego Fernandez Martinez, a researcher from Medellín, Colombia, has pioneered sustainable alternatives to cocaine production through his CocaLife initiative. Since 2020, he's developed over 300 non-narcotic applications for coca leaves including organic pesticides, biodegradable plastics, and medicinal extracts. His work directly addresses deforestation caused by coca cultivation while offering economic alternatives to farmers. The EU awarded his team a €2.5M grant in 2024 to scale production. Fernandez's TEDx talk Coca: Nature's Gift, Not Narcotics has 2.3M views and inspired similar projects in Peru and Bolivia. His partnership with UNODC integrates these solutions into national drug policy frameworks.