Economic diversification: building opportunities beyond the mining
Prodeco continues to support resilient communities in the Cesar region by strengthening local productive capacities and promoting economic opportunities beyond mining. Through entrepreneurship, community-led productive projects and strategic partnerships, the Company is helping communities build new skills, strengthen their businesses and develop more autonomous and sustainable sources of income.
Productive Projects Building Sustainable Livelihoods
Prodeco has supported six high-impact productive projects developed with community associations in La Jagua de Ibirico, El Paso and Becerril. Focused on fish farming and cattle rearing, these initiatives combine infrastructure investment, technical and business training, and organizational strengthening to help communities develop the capabilities needed to manage productive activities independently and build sustainable livelihoods beyond mining.
A significant step in this process is the transition toward autonomous management. Five out of six productive projects (San Rafael Farm, La Florida Farm, Portón Rojo Farm and El Rocío Farm) are now independently managed by their community associations, strengthening local ownership and their capacity to sustain these productive activities over time.
The six projects involve 184 association members and support the livelihoods of more than 800 people, including 67 women leaders, while generating more than 770 local jobs during their implementation.
In partnership with the National Learning Service (SENA), Prodeco also continues to strengthen the technical and entrepreneurial capabilities of association members. Through 18 complementary training processes, 162 members have obtained certifications in areas including fish farming, cattle production, aquaculture biosecurity, animal production, occupational health and safety, and business development.
Communities That Are Building Their Own Future: El Rocío: From a fish farming project to a diversified community enterprise
What began as a tilapia farming project has evolved into a diversified productive initiative led by the Asociación de Pescadores Puente Seco (ASOPRAPS) in El Paso, Cesar. Through technical, organizational and business support, association members have strengthened their capabilities and progressively taken on the direct management of the project.
Today, El Rocío operates as an integrated farm combining fish farming with pig rearing, plant nurseries and agricultural production. Since May 2025, the project has been under the association’s independent management, marking an important step in the transition toward community-led productive models.
ASOPRAPS is also expanding its role as a productive actor in the territory. The association has secured a contract worth more than USD $190.500 with the Colombian Adaptation Fund (a public entity focused on implementing integrated risk management and climate change adaptation projects) to operate a productive project and currently manages La Estrella, one of Prodeco’s six High-Impact Productive Projects.
El Rocío illustrates how sustained capacity building, partnerships and collective work can turn a community project into a platform for economic opportunity and greater autonomy beyond mining.
Driving Local Entrepreneurship and Economic Diversification
As part of Prodeco’s commitment to economic diversification, through the CEMPRENDE program, the Company continues to strengthen small local businesses in La Jagua de Ibirico and Calenturitas. The initiative supports entrepreneurs in consolidating their businesses through tailored technical, administrative, and commercial support, while generating new economic opportunities aligned with local capacities and talents.
In 2025 alone, CEMPRENDE supported 19 business plans across the agro-industrial, services, manufacturing, and agricultural sectors, directly supporting 29 families and 83 people, while generating 45 jobs and more than 24,000 units of goods and services.
The program also delivered 12 technical training sessions focused on accounting, regulatory compliance, and commercial management. As a result, eight businesses formalized their operations, while another 24 advanced through the self-employment model.
These results are supported by CEMPRENDE’s tailored socio-business model, designed to strengthen high-impact productive projects and equip entrepreneurs with the technical, administrative, and operational capabilities needed to manage their businesses autonomously and sustainably. Through strategic partnerships, including its collaboration with SENA (National Learning Service), 162 participants obtained sector-specific certifications, 73% advanced in technical qualification processes, and 100% completed the socio-business training modules.
Since its creation, CEMPRENDE has benefited 422 entrepreneurs in Cesar, of whom 70% remain active, generating more than 600 local jobs. These results highlight the program’s contribution to strengthening local businesses and fostering a more diversified and resilient local economy.
Through every entrepreneur supported, Prodeco reaffirms its commitment to building resilient communities and contributing to sustainable local economic development beyond mining.
Strategic Alliances Opening New Market Opportunities
Strategic partnerships continue to play an important role in connecting communities with new markets, technical expertise and sources of financing. In 2025, Prodeco consolidated 12 partnerships with public, private and cooperation organizations, mobilizing more than USD $595.000 to strengthen associations, entrepreneurs and productive projects across the territory.
Partnerships with organizations such as SENA, the Colombian Rural Development Agency (ADR), the Cesar Governor´s Office, the Adaptation Fund, the Postobón Foundation and the World Food Programme (WFP) are helping expand access to knowledge, productive resources and new opportunities for local organizations.
One example is the mango diversification initiative developed with the Postobón Foundation, an organization from one of Colombia´s leading beverage company. Rural communities planted 12,800 mango trees, for their fruit juice product, across more than 40 hectares, while community associations participating in the initiative are increasingly taking on the commercialization of their production.
In 2025, five local associations sold more than 4,700 kg of mango, demonstrating the potential of direct market access to strengthen local productive capacities and generate new income opportunities.
These partnerships help community organizations move from beneficiaries of development initiatives to increasingly autonomous productive actors, with greater capacity to access markets, attract investment and manage resources.
Building resilient communities means creating opportunities that can grow beyond mining. By strengthening entrepreneurship, productive capabilities and access to strategic partnerships, Prodeco continues to support communities in developing the skills, networks and economic opportunities needed to shape their own future.