Cultural preservation and sustainable development in Kankawarwa

Through Fundación Nutresa and in partnership with its Chocolates and Cold Cuts Business Units, Grupo Nutresa has acknowledged the richness and depth of the Arhuaco worldview as a core pillar for its support strategy in the Fundación river basin.

Since 2012, this partnership has entailed constant learning to understand and respect the practices, traditions and values of the Arhuaco communities, thus ensuring the interventions in their territories strengthen their cultural identity while promoting sustainable development. The initiative, which was developed within the inclusion-driven business framework, is intended to bridge poverty gaps related to two key aspects: the food security of the child population and the generation of sustainable income through cocoa farming.

To achieve this objective, the strategy was structured on four fronts:

1. Social-organizational front: Asoprocuenca was reinforced as a self-sustainable
   organization that fosters associative processes while respecting the cultural
   dynamics.
2. Economic/business-related front: Implementation of diversified projects that
   produce well-being for the Arhuaco families, and promote production activities
   related to cocoa and other traditional products.
3. Quality management front: Development of agroforestry arrangements that
   integrate ancestral knowledge and modern practices to ensure economic and
   environmental sustainability.
4. Environmental management front: The community was consolidated as a
   reference regarding the protection of the environment, integrating nature-based
   solutions.

A significant example of the community-articulated work is the cocoa plantation
partnership as a source of income for Kankawarwa, which thoroughly respects the
traditions and values of this Arhuaco people. A project was established in collaboration
with Fundación Nutresa, focusing on articulating efforts, resources and knowledge with the
purpose of promoting:

• Sustainable production: Incorporation of traditional practices in the cultivation of cocoa
  with technical assistance, thus strengthening the cultural identity.
• Food and nutrition: Productive garden, pisciculture and pig farming programs that
  improve the families’ food security and the Kanka internship program.
• Organizational strengthening: Incorporation of Asoprocuenca to manage the
  production and commercialization of cocoa and handicrafts (such as traditional bags,
  ‘mochilas’ in Spanish), thus strengthening the local economy.
• Production infrastructure: Construction of a trapiche (sugarcane mill) that supports the
  sugarcane transformation process, and promotes self-reliance.
  The project has been replicated in other territories, such as Windiwa, Umake and
  Seynurwa, thus promoting the conservation of the Arhuaco customs while boosting their
  comprehensive development.
  Currently, the Arhuaco communities from Fundación, Magdalena and Pueblo Bello, Cesar
  participate in the ‘Productive Nature’ program, which was created by the USAID and is
  centered on preserving the ecosystems and promoting the sustainable production of cocoa
  by means of nature-based solutions. This effort includes the creation of teams with a deep
  knowledge of the territory, the language and the cultural practices, thus guaranteeing a
  real and respectful impact.
  This experience not only has produced benefits for the communities, but also for Grupo
  Nutresa by enabling the Organization to incorporate fundamental knowledge of the
  Arhuaco worldview and adjust its interventions with the aim of preserving the invaluable
  cultural legacy of these communities.