Corporate social responsibility is a self-commitment that private enterprises undertake to give back to their communities and to develop business models that benefit not only their main stakeholders, but also society as a whole. In this regard, Farmfolio’s spirit of wholeness, sustainable development, and honoring family traditions is kept alive not only by growing the products of the land, but also by caring for the people that work it every day. This is particularly important as it relates to young women and girls, who have been traditionally sidelined in rural communities as it relates to formal education. By advancing socioeconomic growth in the regions and communities where Farmfolio operates, we strengthen the economic performance of Colombia’s agricultural industry and give our local workforce a valuable skillset that will allow us to continue innovating. Traditionally a forgotten and peripheral part of Latin American countries, by advancing the education of future generations in rural communities, Farmfolio is ensuring that a new generation of women and men who are passionate about the countryside are empowered to develop it properly and make it grow.
Fostering both Agricultural and Social Growth
In the immediate vicinity of Farmfolio’s Ganaderia Pietrasanta (GP) in Colombia live three families with some seven school age children. Furthermore, amongst GP’s 40 employees, there is an average of three school age children per family. Therefore, as part of our social responsibility work surrounding GP, Farmfolio is considering several initiatives such as the inauguration of a community library within the farm. This library and study center would serve the nearby rural communities of La Julia, El Balsal, El Boche, and 10 de Febrero. Given the precarious situation of the primary schools amongst the communities and the lack of a primary school in La Julia, such a library would serve as a major driver for youth development and education in the region. Farmfolio has already identified some potential locations for this community library, which are close to the farm’s entrance and the community’s access road.
For these projects, Farmfolio is actively looking for national and international partners as it seeks to develop social responsibility projects related to education around GP. Currently, Farmfolio is finalizing an assessment of the communities’ needs and preparing a blueprint for the construction of such a library. Nevertheless, in order to finalize and execute this project, the right partnership needs to be established to ensure that the library is properly stocked and run to serve local students.
(Read more about Diverse Agricultural Activities Provide Year-Round Work)