Ten years ago, Acumen set out to test a hypothesis: Could impact-first capital help rebuild Colombia’s rural communities still reeling from decades of armed conflict?
We didn’t have a blueprint. What we had was conviction—that patient capital, placed in the hands of mission-driven businesses rooted in the community, could help bridge the gap between peace and prosperity.
A decade later, we have evidence. It couldn’t be more timely.
Colombia is navigating a delicate moment. While the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC brought hope, rural communities remain fragile. Structural inequality, the resurgence of illegal economies, and the retreat of international aid have all threatened the country’s post-conflict progress. The rural regions hardest hit by the war are again at risk of being left behind.
That’s why Acumen Latin America began investing in Colombia in 2014.
We focused on conflict-affected rural areas, where opportunities are scarce and the social fabric has been torn. Over the past decade, we’ve invested more than $10 million in 19 companies, primarily agribusinesses in cacao, coffee, and fresh produce. Many are owned or led by local grassroots organizations.
To mark our tenth year, we partnered with 60 Decibels to understand the depth and reach of our work, revealing that a community-focused investment model—one centered on local ownership, long-term relationships, and dignity—can create meaningful, measurable change.
The report spotlights six companies that show how market-based models can drive rural resilience. Acceso connects smallholder farmers directly to buyers, removing intermediaries and boosting incomes. Azahar Coffee pays stable, premium prices through a direct trade model that brings transparency back to the supply chain. Cacao Hunters sources cacao from community-based organizations, offering reliable offtake and helping farmers build pride around their product.
CortePaz, a grassroots association, equips farmers with technical support to improve yields and crop quality. Selva Nevada works in some of Colombia’s most biodiverse regions, sourcing exotic fruits from Indigenous and rural communities for artisanal ice creams and pulps. SiembraViva helps smallholder farmers transition to regenerative agriculture, aligning sustainability with stronger livelihoods.
All of the companies are designed to do more than just create jobs; they exist to rebuild trust, restore dignity, and regenerate land and livelihoods.
Local impact
Our investments have reached people often excluded from both markets and aid. Half of the farmers we serve live in poverty, and nearly 80% had never accessed similar opportunities before.
But impact isn’t just about access. It’s about agency. We found that 83% of farmers reported improved well-being, while 76% increased their income. Just as important, 52% said they gained greater ability to make decisions in their lives—a critical but often overlooked outcome of economic empowerment.
And that impact extends beyond the individual. A majority of farmers, or 67%, believe their entire communities have benefited from the investments. In places fractured by war, farmers spoke of renewed optimism, collaboration, and economic momentum. For us, that validation was especially meaningful. We’ve long believed that supporting businesses rooted in communities would lead to broader community healing. This was the first time we had the data to prove it.
Trust takes root over time, and so does impact. Farmers who’ve worked longer with our portfolio companies consistently report greater gains in income, stability, and quality of life. With a reliable buyer, they’re not just surviving harvest to harvest, they’re planning ahead, reinvesting in their land, and building a future.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they feel more prepared for climate shocks, a powerful reminder that climate resilience and economic resilience go hand in hand. You can’t adopt regenerative practices or invest in soil health if you’re unsure where your next paycheck is coming from. The businesses we back are helping farmers grow not just better crops, but stronger, more sustainable systems.
Gender disparities
The report also surfaced hard truths. While women reported greater gains in personal agency, they saw fewer financial benefits than men. This reflects deep-rooted structural inequalities in rural Colombia, where land ownership, labor divisions, and access to markets all tilt male.
Our model has made progress, but it hasn’t been enough. We now know we need to work more intentionally with our investees to ensure that women have equal opportunities to benefit economically. Impact isn’t impact unless it’s inclusive.
Our work has shown that impact investing can succeed where traditional aid is retreating. But Acumen alone won’t scale this model. Our capital is limited. What’s not limited is the potential to inspire others, including funders, governments and investors, to adopt a different mindset.
For policymakers, this is an invitation to expand the toolbox. Market-based approaches can complement public programs, especially in fragile regions where public trust is thin and aid is drying up. For traditional investors, it’s proof that viable businesses can be built in places long deemed too risky, and that profit and purpose don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
This decade has been one of listening, experimenting, and learning. We’ve seen firsthand that when investment is done with humility, patience, and proximity to the people it’s meant to serve, it can help rebuild not just incomes—but entire communities.
Impact investing won’t fix everything. But in rural Colombia, it’s proven it can do something aid no longer can: show up for the long haul and stay until the roots take hold.
Now, the challenge, and the opportunity, is to scale what works, ensure it includes everyone, and build systems that value not just profit, but possibility.
Virgilio Barco is the Latin America director for Acumen and co-founder and managing partner at ALIVE.
