Skip to main content
Menu: Transversal
  • Exports
    • Colombia Trade
    • Export Route
    • Opportunities in Real Time
    • Exportable Offer Catalogue
    • Colombia Exports Services
  • Investment
    • Invest in Colombia
    • Opportunities Map
    • Legal Guide
    • Legal Directory
  • Tourism
    • Vacations
    • Meetings
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Feel the rhythm
  • Colombia country brand
    • Colombia.co
    • News
    • Visit Colombia
    • Colombia Country Brand
letter
Header
  • Exports
    • Colombia Trade
    • Export Route
    • Opportunities in Real Time
    • Exportable Offer Catalogue
    • Colombia Exports Services
  • Investment
    • Invest in Colombia
    • Opportunities Map
    • Mapa de oportunidades
    • Legal Guide
    • Guía legal
    • Legal Directory
  • Tourism
    • Vacations
    • Meetings
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Feel the rhythm
  • Colombia country brand
    • Colombia.co
    • News
    • Actualiadad
    • Visit Colombia
    • Visita Colombia
    • Colombia Country Brand
    • Marca Colombia

Invest in Colombia

Invest in Colombia
Main navigation
  • Home
  • Why Colombia?
  • Investment Sectors
    • Agricultural products & Food production
      • Processed foods
      • Cocoa, by-products and chocolate
      • Fruits and vegetables
      • Palm industry
      • Livestock
      • Commercial plantation forests
    • Energy
      • Conventional energy
      • Renewable energy
    • Private equity and venture capital
      • Private equity funds
      • Venture capital
    • Infrastructure
      • Energy, transmission and telecommunications network
      • Social and sanitary infrastructure
      • Transport infrastructure
    • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
      • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate
    • Manufacturing industries
      • Aeronautic
      • Automotive
      • Cosmetic and personal care
      • Packaging
      • Fashion industry
      • Petrochemical industry
      • Construction materials
    • Healthcare services and life sciences
      • Medicinal and cosmetic cannabis
      • Pharmaceutical sector
      • Healthcare services
      • Clinical Trials Industry in Colombia
    • Information technology and creative industries
      • Audio-visual and entertainment
      • Data Centers
      • Shared Services Centers
      • Outsourcing of Services BPO
      • Software and IT Services
  • How to Invest
    • Investment incentives
      • Legal and tax incentives
      • Free Trade Zones
    • Taxes in Colombia
    • How to establish your company at Colombia
      • Hiring a workforce in Colombia
      • How to buy real state
      • How to incorporate your company
      • Visas and migratory regulation
    • How to import
  • Articles and Assets
    • Articles
    • Documents and white papers
    • Top investment opportunities
      • Investor
      • Colombian companies
  • EN
  • ES
lsearch
Sign in
  • Sign in
  • Create account
Choose your profile

Welcome, please choose the profile that best suits your business to login or register.

Colombian Companies Investor
  • EN
  • ES
Navegación principal
  • Home
  • Why Colombia?
  • Investment Sectors
    • Agricultural products & Food production
      • Processed foods
      • Cocoa, by-products and chocolate
      • Fruits and vegetables
      • Palm industry
      • Livestock
      • Commercial plantation forests
    • Energy
      • Conventional energy
      • Renewable energy
    • Private equity and venture capital
      • Private equity funds
      • Venture capital
    • Infrastructure
      • Energy, transmission and telecommunications network
      • Social and sanitary infrastructure
      • Transport infrastructure
    • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
      • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate
    • Manufacturing industries
      • Aeronautic
      • Automotive
      • Cosmetic and personal care
      • Packaging
      • Fashion industry
      • Petrochemical industry
      • Construction materials
    • Healthcare services and life sciences
      • Medicinal and cosmetic cannabis
      • Pharmaceutical sector
      • Healthcare services
      • Clinical Trials Industry in Colombia
    • Information technology and creative industries
      • Audio-visual and entertainment
      • Data Centers
      • Shared Services Centers
      • Outsourcing of Services BPO
      • Software and IT Services
  • How to Invest
    • Investment incentives
      • Legal and tax incentives
      • Free Trade Zones
    • Taxes in Colombia
    • How to establish your company at Colombia
      • Hiring a workforce in Colombia
      • How to buy real state
      • How to incorporate your company
      • Visas and migratory regulation
    • How to import
  • Articles and Assets
    • Articles
    • Documents and white papers
    • Top investment opportunities
      • Investor
      • Colombian companies
Síganos:
Invest
now!
Alimentos procesados
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Investment Sectors
  3. Agricultural products & Food production
  4. Why invest in the processed food sector?
Title

Why invest in the processed food sector?

Colombia has positioned itself as an attractive destination to invest in processed foods in the region. Its ability to meet the demand for raw materials, its geographical position that can serve the entire region as an export platform, and multiple investment incentives have made it a focal point in Latin America for doing and expanding business; the arrival of major players in the country proves it.

Colombian processed food production is recognized for its capacity to meet the demand for raw materials for the sector. In addition, the sector is a driver of employment generation, and sustainable, environmental, and economic development in the country.

Processed foods

Colombia has the capacity to satisfy the demand for raw materials in the processed foods sector

The country has a potential for sustainable agricultural and livestock growth, being recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO, as one of the tropical countries that will have the role of the world's pantry. In addition, the tropical climatic conditions make possible the production of a wide variety of foods throughout the year.

The country is an important producer of fruits, vegetables, sugar, cocoa, dairy products, animal proteins, among others. Furthermore, Colombia has the conditions for sustainable processed food products in approximately 40 million hectares of the potential agricultural frontier with water availability.

Colombia and Latin American are major consumers of processed foods

Colombia is emerging as an export platform to satisfy consumers in the Americas. Colombia's expanded market in the region1  is USD 1.4 billion, equivalent to 30% of the world market for processed foods and beverages.

In addition, the processed food sector is a pillar of the national economy and represents close to 33% of Colombia's manufacturing GDP. The main processed foods produced are beverages and tobacco, processed meat, bakery and milling, dairy products, sugar and panela, processed fruits, oils and fats, coffee and cocoa derivatives, and confectionery.

Colombia is the fifth largest economy in the region, with access to more than 1.5 billion consumers, thanks to the 16 trade agreements in force and its privileged location that allows it to reach consumers within 5 days of the United States, 11 days of Europe and 21 days of Asia (Euromonitor2).

National Government initiatives and programs for the sector

The National Government is committed to promoting the sector and implementing measures to consolidate production and international opportunities. The Colombia Exporta Agro strategy and the Colombia Productiva programs stand out among the initiatives for sector development and growth.

Colombia’s competitive business network is conducive to building partnerships and accessing strategic suppliers

Colombia's business fabric offers opportunities for strategic alliances and/or to be suppliers of raw materials for the development of value-added products in Colombia.

There are more than 5,800 companies in Colombia engaged in the production of beverages, food products; agriculture, livestock, hunting, and related service activities;  forestry, and timber extraction. These companies are classified according to their revenues as follows: large (12%), medium (29%), micro (4%), and small (56%) (EMIS3).

These companies are in 27 of the country's departments, with Bogotá being the main concentration point, accounting for 39% of the sector's companies, followed by Medellín (14%), Cali (13%), and Barranquilla (5%) (EMIS).

Investment opportunities in Colombia’s processed foods sector

The processed food sector offers several opportunities along its value chain:

  1. The country has the potential to serve a changing and more sophisticated local market. In the cities, there is a trend that creates opportunities in processed animal protein foods such as sausages with greater sophistication, hamburger kits, frozen food or baby kits.
  2. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries, therefore, there are opportunities in leveraging Colombian ingredients for research and/or as bases for exporting premium products. Large, processed food players can benefit from Colombian ingredients to establish R&D centers to develop new healthy nutritional products and experiment with native ingredients.
  3. Import substitution of inputs and ingredients to produce processed foods.
  4. Provision of related services to support exports.
Investment Sectors
Investment Sectors
  • Agricultural products & Food production
    • Processed foods
    • Cocoa, by-products and chocolate
    • Fruits and vegetables
    • Palm industry
    • Livestock
    • Commercial plantation forests
  • Energy
    • Conventional energy
    • Renewable energy
  • Private equity and venture capital
    • Private equity funds
    • Venture capital
  • Infrastructure
    • Energy, transmission and telecommunications network
    • Social and sanitary infrastructure
    • Transport infrastructure
  • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
    • Hospitality and tourism infrastructure
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate
  • Manufacturing industries
    • Aeronautic
    • Automotive
    • Cosmetic and personal care
    • Packaging
    • Fashion industry
    • Petrochemical industry
    • Construction materials
  • Healthcare services and life sciences
    • Medicinal and cosmetic cannabis
    • Pharmaceutical sector
    • Healthcare services
    • Clinical Trials Industry in Colombia
  • Information technology and creative industries
    • Audio-visual and entertainment
    • Data Centers
    • Shared Services Centers
    • Outsourcing of Services BPO
    • Software and IT Services
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
Get new captcha!
Pre Footer
  • About Procolombia
  • Ministries and Embassies
  • Regional Information
  • Documents and White papers
Procolombia
Colombia Co
Procolombia
Colombia Co
  • Calle 28 No 13A - 15 Floor 35-36 Bogotá - Colombia
  • PBX: +57 601 5600100 - Fax: +51 601 5600104
  • Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Footer
  • Citizen Services
  • Complaints
  • Contact Us
  • Work with us
  • Sustainability Report
Síganos:
Footer Final
  • About this site
  • Terms of use
  • Personal Data Protection
Síguenos:
X
  • Create new account
  • Request new password