Transforming Businesses through the “Buena Onda” program

Grupo Nutresa is committed to sustainable development. Therefore, the Organization seeks to consolidate business models that support the capitalization of opportunities and the creation of shared value for our stakeholders.

Through Fundación Nutresa, the Company has been able to enhance the socio-entrepreneurial, economic and production capabilities of low-income supplier organizations in both rural and urban areas. This has been achieved by implementing the social intervention methodology, which has allowed benefiting more than 136 small-farmer organizations and more than 21,000 farmers who are part of community-based or family-based agricultural projects in multiple Colombian regions.

As a result of this process, Grupo Nutresa created “Buena Onda, Negocios que Transforman” (Good Vibe, Transforming Businesses), a program deployed in partnership with Universidad EAN and intended to enhance capabilities within grassroots organizations. The capability-development actions are carried out through the consolidation of inclusion-driven business models with a high social, economic and environmental impact produced by promoting the development of local supply, increased competitiveness and the contribution to responsible and competitive sourcing, thus facilitating the conservation of biodiversity.

During the first execution stage of “Buena Onda,” a call for entries was published internally for the submission of relevant projects aligned with the goals and challenges of Grupo Nutresa’s Business Units. A total of 27 initiatives were received from Colombia, Chile and Honduras, all focused on enhancing the capabilities of small farmers with community-based or family-based agricultural projects in the production chains of sacha inchi, quinoa, blackberry, strawberry, coffee, wheat, cocoa, lettuce, potato, milk, banana and sago flour.

After conducting an assessment exercise, 15 project opportunities were prioritized in Colombia to be implemented under the project methodology in the states of Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Quindío and Meta.

The capabilities that will be developed will provide benefits to both the communities and Grupo Nutresa’s Business Units, for example:

The strengthening of the value chain and the increase in the efficiency of the production operations under an inclusion-driven approach focused on local sourcing.

• The generation of revenue for rural families, thus ensuring a stable and fair income.

• The incorporation of sustainable innovation in the formulation of creative solutions that cater to the reality of each specific territory and each Business Unit.

• The integration of practices that contribute to fulfilling goals and overcoming global challenges such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

• The thematic pillars of the training provided to farmers will be centered on sustainable innovation within business models, resilience to climate change, biodiversity conservation, strengthening of social and cultural capabilities, organizational development and sustainable production.

With this new endeavor, Grupo Nutresa keeps taking actions that transform and foster prosperity in the territories.