Final Report: YUCA AMARGA PARA UNA DULCE LECHE

The initiative aims to promote economic development, sustainability, social inclusion, and environmental responsibility in 61 municipalities across Antioquia, Córdoba, Sucre, Cesar, and the Bajo Cauca region. The project involves an alliance between COLANTA and USAID, with a total investment of USD 41.721.929. The initiative focuses on two main components: yuca and leche. For the yuca component, the population of interest includes both emerging and traditional yuca producers, as well as associations of producers who have signed a purchase contract with the alliance. The methodology used for the yuca component involves the use of two instruments: the "Hoja de vida productor yuca" survey and the "Valoración del Estado Organizacional (VEO)" methodology. For the leche component, data was collected from Colanta's system of information Visita Finca Productor (VFP) and the AS400 server, which were used to apply the instruments "Hoja de vida productor leche" and "Formato visita finca productor". Additionally, data from previous projects and consolidated figures from the Colanta 2018 management report were used for several indicators. The results of the line base analysis will be used as input to support management decision-making, reflected in the planning of actions to be carried out with yuca and leche producer families. The data will also provide a baseline for determining the achievements and impacts of the initiative once it is completed. The initiative aims to benefit 7,500 households (7,000 families in leche and 500 families in yuca), with 300 young people being trained in social skills or leadership. The expected results for the yuca component include the production of 9,000 tons of yuca seca, an 83% increase in yuca productivity, and the installation of 8 infrastructure production units. For the leche component, the expected results include a 3% reduction in the cost of production per liter of milk, the formation of 63,000 units of standard quality colonies, and the production of 2,072,000 liters of milk per day. The line base analysis was led by the Comité de Monitoreo, Evaluación y Aprendizaje (MEL), who designed the methodology and instruments for data collection. The analysis was carried out between March 2019 and March 2020, and the results will be used to monitor and evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the initiative.