Enhancing smallholder dairy productivity and self-sufficiency in Colombia
Following successful Dairy Hub projects around the world for many years, a new project in Colombia is helping Tetra Pak customers to connect with local smallholder farmers – to build a more sustainable dairy value chain.
In the Cauca Department, Southwestern Colombia, only around 10% of the milk produced is formally collected, which is a major challenge for the regional dairy industry. The three-year Cauca Dairy Hub project together with a public-private partnership, aims to support the development of region’s dairy sector.
The public-private partnership will improve the economic conditions of smallholder farmers by providing technical training and access to the formal market through Tetra Pak customers. The partnership includes local dairy processors Alpina and Alival, the Embassy of Sweden, Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Tetra Pak Colombia and Tetra Pak Food for Development.
Strengthening the local dairy industry
“This joint programme promotes sustainable cattle farming that avoids deforestation, improves the quality and productivity of milk thereby improving quality of life of indigenous and peasant communities in a conflict affected region, while promoting stable suppliers for the dairy industry,” explained Helena Storm, Ambassador of Sweden in Colombia. The first phase of the project was initiated in 2024 with baseline data showing that more than half of the 338 farms in the scope of the project belong to indigenous families and 42% are led by women. The objective of the project is to increase farm productivity and income by 20%.