Women in the Colombian Amazon Combat Deforestation through Bioeconomy

In the Colombian Amazon, the project “Promotion of Green Investment and the Bioeconomy for the Fight Against Deforestation” is advancing sustainable productive alternatives that add value to biodiversity and strengthen local livelihoods in Putumayo, Caquetá, and Guaviare.

This initiative, part of the Sustainable Colombia Fund (SCF) and implemented by Fondo Acción, is supported by the governments of Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland under the administration of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The fund promotes green investments and bioeconomy models in key regions of the country while strengthening local livelihoods.

The project has advanced innovative financial instruments, intellectual property guarantees for bio-based products, rural bio-entrepreneurship funds, and practical guides that help bring private banking closer to the bioeconomy.

Thanks to these efforts, initiatives such as Shuska (see Figure 1), which transforms Amazonian seeds into sustainable bio-jewelry, receive direct support. The project also strengthens businesses in historically marginalized territories: Agroindustrias OMKRIM turns native fruits into ice cream and essential oils; AMAVIT protects açaí groves; Sacha Muiu, from the Inga people, leads community-based production of canangucha oil; and the women’s associations ASMUECH and ASMUPROPAZ produce Amazonian herbal infusions and essences.

These experiences not only energize local economies — they regenerate territories and demonstrate how biodiversity can serve as the foundation for sustainable and resilient rural development.
 

The bioeconomy proposes a different way of producing and generating income by sustainably using renewable biological resources — such as plants, seeds, and natural fibers — without depleting what the land provides. It is not just about choosing “green” alternatives, but about creating regenerative economic models that promote well-being, inclusion, and environmental stewardship.

In biodiverse regions like the Colombian Amazon, the bioeconomy opens productive opportunities where few existed before. It spans functional foods, agricultural bio-inputs, biotextiles, bioplastics, and bioenergy. Projects like Shuska show how this approach can even become fashion with purpose — combining innovation, identity, and respect for nature.

Colombia is the fourth most biodiverse country in the world (Global Biodiversity Ranking, Worldostats 2025). Its natural wealth and human capital position it as a key player in the bioeconomy. Today, this sector — based on the sustainable use of natural resources — contributes nearly 14% of national value added and generates close to 21% of total employment.

According to the Ministry of Science, the sector could generate 2.5 million new jobs by 2030 and contribute up to 10% of GDP. Yet challenges remain.

Between 2010 and 2015, only 16% of exports came from bioeconomy-related sectors, well below the regional average of 24.2%, while 60% remain concentrated in minerals and fossil-based products (ECLAC). Overcoming these barriers requires closing technological gaps, strengthening local capacities, and opening markets where biodiversity becomes a source of identity and sustainable prosperity.

With its community roots and women’s leadership, Shuska has become an exemplary model for promoting the bioeconomy in the Colombian Amazon.

Led by Neila Preciado from the Afroprimavera Community Council in Putumayo — a representative organization of Afro-Colombian, Raizal, and Palenquero communities that administer collective territories — the venture brings together a network of women collectors who work with seeds and natural fibers while respecting the forest. Each bio-jewel is made from previously underutilized seeds, selected through ancestral knowledge without affecting ecosystem regeneration. Nature is not degraded — it is honored and transformed into pieces that carry identity.

Technical support from the SCF, administered by the IDB, enabled Shuska to strengthen its brand, expand its commercial presence, and participate in Colombiamoda, Latin America’s leading fashion and innovation fair. The company also improved its infrastructure with clean energy solutions and community collection centers.

Shuska is a living lesson in how the bioeconomy, when supported by strong institutional partnerships, can create real pathways for historically marginalized communities. Conserving the forest can also mean prospering with dignity.

The journey of bioenterprises supported by the SCF offers valuable lessons for those who believe in a transformative bioeconomy. Supplying natural inputs alone is not enough. Success requires design, innovation, integrated value chains, and ongoing support in management, commercialization, and market access.

Strategic alliances among communities, public and private entities, and international cooperation are essential to scale sustainable models. In a sector where local voices and leadership have often been overlooked, experiences like Shuska demonstrate that sustainability goes hand in hand with equity and cultural identity.

With its biological wealth, cultural diversity, and creativity, Colombia has the potential to lead the bioeconomy in the region. Achieving this will require a shared vision, public policies that strengthen local capacities, and recognition of initiatives emerging from the territories themselves.

By protecting the forest and supporting those who inhabit it, an economy rooted in place — connected to markets and oriented toward a sustainable future — can flourish.