Análisis comparativo de inclusión financiera de los productores de café en Colombia en los departamentos de Huila y Tolima 2021-2023 Análisis comparativo de inclusión financiera de los productores de café en Colombia en los departamentos de Huila y Tolima 2021-2023

This article presents a comparative analysis of the formal and informal financial inclusion of coffee producers in the departments of Huila and Tolima in Colombia. This research was conducted to understand the potential effects on the financial formality of coffee growers in response to exogenous shocks such as the increase in coffee prices, climate variability (La Niña phenomenon), and the impacts of higher inflation and rising interest rates in the post- pandemic scenario that the Colombian coffee industry experienced between 2021 and 2023. The study utilizes data from the producer panel created as part of the Alliance for a Formal and Inclusive Economy (Alianza EFI) in its rural component. The results show that the exogenous shocks experienced by the coffee economy did not alter the financial inclusion structure of coffee growers, which is characterized by high cash usage, low access to formal savings accounts, and the importance of the Agrarian Bank in the formal credit ecosystem. However, these shocks did result in lower formal financial inclusion, both in terms of savings and credit. Additionally, using a multinomial logistic regression model, it was confirmed that income level, age of the producer, years of formal education, and internet access are crucial factors in the growth and persistence of formal financial status among coffee growers.