La Catira Industria Láctea is a family-run dairy company that has operated in Colombia for more than forty years. It sources milk for its cheese and dessert products from dairy producers in the Llanos region, a vast tropical savannah east of the Andes known for its lush rolling hills, outstanding wildlife, and centuries-old cattle herding culture. But conventional cattle farming practices pose significant risks to the savannah and the sustainability of the dairy industry. Continuous grazing and chemical fertilizers and pesticides spur a negative cycle of soil degradation and deforestation, which contributes to climate change, as dairy producers seek healthier pastures.
The Challenge: Protecting the Future of the Dairy Industry
As the region’s largest and longest-running industrial dairy company, La Catira is focused on creating a more sustainable future to ensure the long-term viability of the industry and meet rising consumer demand for responsibly sourced products. In 2020, the company set out to address environmental risks within its supply chain. It integrated eight of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into its strategic plan; fostered direct relationships with its producers; and signed a zero-deforestation agreement with the Government of Colombia.
Still, the company needed partners and additional resources to help carry out its ambitious plans.
The Solution: Developing a Deforestation Monitoring Framework
In 2022, La Catira reached out to Proyección Eco-Social, a Colombian nonprofit organization providing environmentally and socially conscious technical guidance. The two organizations worked together to develop a monitoring framework to verify that La Catira’s supply chain remains deforestation-free every year. As part of this process, the nonprofit facilitated a partnership between La Catira and USAID through the Amazonia Connect activity that aims to reduce carbon emissions associated with commercial farming supply chains while conserving biodiversity in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.
USAID staff supported La Catira in funding and developing the monitoring framework, which utilizes a web-based monitoring and traceability tool called Visiprast. Visiprast collects vital supply chain data and links it to environmental variables, allowing La Catira to pinpoint environmental risks through satellite imagery and official data.
This information enables “decisions based on data and facts regarding environmental issues,” said Sandra Valero, Marketing and Production Plant Director at La Catira. “It is an important tool for making sustainability decisions.” The company has used Visiprast to confirm its suppliers have not engaged in deforestation or other environmental risks and will use it to monitor risks going forward.
Visiprast also benefits La Catira’s producers, who can use the tool to understand the risks associated with their cattle pastures. This information enables them to mitigate risks and improve effective management practices. Producers who achieve no deforestation on their land gain access to higher-paying buyers and potentially benefit from other incentives, such as carbon or biodiversity credits.
The Result: A More Credible, Sustainable Supply Chain
La Catira's ability to identify deforestation-free zones within its producer network has enhanced the company's reputation and sparked interest locally and regionally. Currently, the company has analyzed 75 properties covering 5,285 hectares using Visiprast. Of those farms, 55 have set aside a portion of their properties as forestland. Later this year, the company plans to grant its producers direct access to the platform to engage stakeholders further and promote sustainability at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile, as consumers prioritize products that meet higher sustainability standards, La Catira and its proactive producers are well-positioned to meet rising consumer demand for responsibly sourced products.
"Monitoring and traceability help us back up our brand promise to consumers with facts and figures," said Valero. "With the help of USAID, we are able to maintain confidence in our actions and our brand positioning with responsible consumers in the marketplace."
Carolina Albán Jaramillo
Carolina Albán Jaramillo is a Private Sector Engagement Project Management Specialist at USAID.