At a Glance

Location: Silvia, Cauca, Colombia

Impact Areas: Supplier Inclusion, Employment Generation

People Supported:
Indigenous Peoples, Smallholder farmers, Rural women

NESsT Program: South America Accelerator 

Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2025

Overview

Indigenous communities in Cauca, Colombia face persistent barriers to economic inclusion, including rural poverty and limited market access. These are compounded by the long-term effects of armed conflict in the region, such as economic disruption, displacement, and weakened rural livelihoods. Smallholder farmers, particularly Indigenous families, often receive low and unstable prices for agricultural products and have limited access to dignified jobs and sustainable production systems. 

Cooperativa Indígena Multiactiva de Pitayó (Coopitayó) was founded in 1984 in the Indigenous Resguardo de Pitayó, Silvia, as a community-led cooperative focused on strengthening rural livelihoods through artisanal and sustainable dairy products. Rooted in Indigenous governance and cultural values, today, Coopitayó brings together 65 Indigenous smallholder families who supply raw milk and participate in the cooperative’s social, environmental, and economic programs. 

The cooperative’s business model combines artisanal dairy processing, a community store, and an agroecological demonstration farm. Coopitayó produces preservative-free cheeses and yogurts using traditional methods, while promoting sustainable livestock practices. Its silvopastoral systems integrate trees, pasture, and cattle grazing, alongside reforestation efforts aimed at improving soil health and water conservation, in partnership with FAO and the Embassy of Sweden. 

Coopitayó pays its milk suppliers 15–35% above market prices and reinvests profits into community microcredit and welfare programs that support local farmers to invest in their small farms and increase productivity and long-term economic independence. All employees are Indigenous community members, formally contracted, and earn wages above the poverty line. 

Coopitayó’s Indigenous identity, commitment to environmental stewardship, and focus on culturally rooted food production —through artisanal, preservative-free cheeses and yogurts made using traditional methods and local knowledge— differentiate it within Colombia’s growing market for artisanal and sustainable dairy products. 

NESsT Investment

Coopitayó is a long-standing Indigenous cooperative with strong community trust and a clear social mission, now preparing for its next stage of development. NESsT’s investment will support Coopitayó to optimize its dairy processing plant, which is currently operating at approximately 50% capacity, through semi-automated equipment upgrades to ensure consistent quality and food safety.

The investment will also enable product diversification of lactose-free and fruit-based yogurts. This new product base, combined with strengthened branding and improved digital visibility, will allow the cooperative to access higher-value urban markets in Popayán and Cali. NESsT’s mentoring and technical assistance will focus on strengthening financial management, governance, scenario planning, and risk management alongside the Coopitayó team supporting the cooperative reduce dependency on a single revenue stream.

Through this support, Coopitayó will position itself to expand into new markets while continuing to generate inclusive economic opportunities and environmental benefits for Indigenous communities in Cauca.