Asoprocegua
Location
Guaviare, Colombia
Programme
South America Accelerator Programme
in partnership with NESsT
Website
www.asoprocegua.com
Asoprocegua promotes sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation through non-timber forest products and community empowerment
Guaviare, a region southeast of Bogotá, is particularly affected by territorial disputes and armed conflicts. Excessive cattle farming has resulted in some of the highest deforestation rates in the country.
For over two decades, Asoprocegua (Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios por el Cambio Económico del Guaviare) has been committed to its mission of building thriving, sustainable livelihoods for farming families in the area.
The association supports smallholder farmers in cultivating non-timber forest products — products that are naturally produced in forests and can be sourced without cutting down a single tree. Asoprocegua provides producers with technical training and equipment to grow and harvest Amazonian fruits such as açaí, burití, and seje. These vitamin-rich fruits are then processed into pulp and other value-added products and sold to restaurants, cafés, and national and international agrifood companies, enabling Asoprocegua to secure higher prices for its producers.
Today, Asoprocegua’s work extends across 30 villages and impacts 250 small producers, including Indigenous groups, young adults, and people over 60.
By partnering with other organisations and government entities engaged in forest conservation, Asoprocegua has expanded its training curriculum for smallholder farmers to include sustainable agriculture, forest management, and protection and restoration of native forests.
Additionally, with support from the Rainforest Alliance, the association has maintained 6,869 hectares of natural forest under conservation and planted close to 100,000 trees to restore deforested land.
With the support and financial assistance of NESsT, Asoprocegua is working to strengthen the entire açai value chain from fruit collection and transportation to processing and commercialisation of frozen pulp and freeze-dried açai. By doing so, we create jobs for young people and other marginalised groups, increase the income of our members, and conserve the forest.
Programme support
With the programme’s investment and mentoring support, the association aims to refine and scale its business model, extending the reach of its social and environmental impact to an additional four regions in Colombia. Within the next three years, Asoprocegua aspires to conserve 10,000 hectares of forest and improve the livelihoods of 120 small producers.
Part of its expansion includes supporting knowledge transfer to younger generations to secure sustainable futures in farming. As part of the programme, Asoprocegua will also work on improving gender equity and income for women farmers and other women in the community.
With the programme’s investment and mentoring support, the association aims to refine and scale its business model, extending the reach of its social and environmental impact to an additional four regions in Colombia. Within the next three years, Asoprocegua aspires to conserve 10,000 hectares of forest and improve the livelihoods of 120 small producers.
Part of its expansion includes supporting knowledge transfer to younger generations to secure sustainable futures in farming. As part of the programme, Asoprocegua will also work on improving gender equity and income for women farmers and other women in the community.