“Silvopasture” dairy farming - Colombia

Background

Caquetá is a poor region of Colombia near the Amazon basin, and Nestlé has had a relationship with the dairy community there for around 35 years. The region has suffered from erosion.

Programme description

“Silvopasture” is system that enhances biodiversity and reduces soil erosion by combining pasture land with other trees and shrubs. This results in improved milk quality and quantity, and therefore greater profits.

Value to Society

• Improvement on the management of the 234 acres involved, reducing erosion
• Increase of employment adding an average of 2 hires by farms
• Income of the farmers has risen by 38%  in average

Value to Nestlé

• Milk production per cow has increased from 4.8 litres to 6.2 litres per day, and from 1.8 to 7 litres per hectare
• The average number of cows per hectare has increased from 0.6 to 1.0
• In 10 pilot farms, the average milk production per farm has increased from 180 litres per day to 249 litres per day, an increase of 38%

Next Steps