The main producer of panela is Colombia (about 1.4 million tons/year),[REF] where panela production is one of the most important economic activities, with the highest index of panela consumption per capita worldwide.
An estimated 70,000 farm units cultivate sugarcane for mills, which generate more than 25 million annually in wages, employing around 350,000 people, or 12% of the economically active rural population, making it the second-largest employer after agricultural coffee production.