Introducing the first cohort of Everyone's Business programme!
Meet the 11 social enterprises contributing to a more inclusive, sustainable, and hopeful Sweden.
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70%
Supports rural farmers in Colombia to transition to growing organic cacao, creating stable incomes and strengthening local economies
Serranía de San Lucas, a remote region in northern Colombia, has faced tough challenges like conflict, illegal mining, and coca cultivation, which have made it difficult for people living there to earn a stable income.
30%
Location
Serranía de San Lucas, Colombia
Programme
South America Accelerator Programme
in partnership with NESsT
Serranía de San Lucas, Colombia
Programme
South America Accelerator Programme
in partnership with NESsT
Aprocasur is a cooperative run by local residents. Since 2004, they have worked closely with families to find safer ways to earn a living by helping farmers transition from illegal crops to growing organic cacao.
Over 500 families have already joined, building better livelihoods and making the local economy stronger in a place where choices are often limited.
Aprocasur pays farmers fair prices for their cacao and helps connect them with buyers both in Colombia and abroad. The cooperative also offers seedlings, training, and farming supplies at prices farmers can afford—things that would otherwise be out of reach for many small producers. In 2023, Aprocasur began making its own chocolate bars and cocoa liquor, opening up new ways for farmers to earn more from their crops.
By turning cacao into a steady source of income, Aprocasur helps families move away from risky activities and supports a more inclusive local economy. This work is an important step toward lasting peace in one of Colombia’s most vulnerable rural areas. By focusing on high-quality, traceable cacao that meets international standards, the cooperative is also getting ready to enter premium export markets.
Programme support
With support from the South America Accelerator Programme, Aprocasur plans to strengthen and scale its community-led cocoa model by testing its business approach and building operational resilience.
We’ll support Aprocasur in building relationships with export buyers and partners who share its mission, aiming to reach new markets and secure better incomes for the farming families. We will also help improve its traceability and quality systems, and strengthen its brand and products for consumers. These efforts will help Aprocasur build a more resilient business model that can withstand global price fluctuations and improve rural families’ livelihoods.
Over 500 families have already joined, building better livelihoods and making the local economy stronger in a place where choices are often limited.
Aprocasur pays farmers fair prices for their cacao and helps connect them with buyers both in Colombia and abroad. The cooperative also offers seedlings, training, and farming supplies at prices farmers can afford—things that would otherwise be out of reach for many small producers. In 2023, Aprocasur began making its own chocolate bars and cocoa liquor, opening up new ways for farmers to earn more from their crops.
By turning cacao into a steady source of income, Aprocasur helps families move away from risky activities and supports a more inclusive local economy. This work is an important step toward lasting peace in one of Colombia’s most vulnerable rural areas. By focusing on high-quality, traceable cacao that meets international standards, the cooperative is also getting ready to enter premium export markets.
Programme support
With support from the South America Accelerator Programme, Aprocasur plans to strengthen and scale its community-led cocoa model by testing its business approach and building operational resilience.
We’ll support Aprocasur in building relationships with export buyers and partners who share its mission, aiming to reach new markets and secure better incomes for the farming families. We will also help improve its traceability and quality systems, and strengthen its brand and products for consumers. These efforts will help Aprocasur build a more resilient business model that can withstand global price fluctuations and improve rural families’ livelihoods.