Artisan Tropic
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Artisan Tropic

Regenerating the tropical snack industry from the ground up
Investment overview
Impact category
Agrifood Systems
Investment type
Loan
Yearly interest
10.05
%
Term
24
months
Risk level
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Description
Impact
Financial viability
Promoter

What will you be financing?

Artisan Tropic is a snack company that sells plantain and cassava-based products made in Colombia in partnership with smallholder farmers. While the brand is based in the US, sourcing, processing, and export are managed in Colombia by Grupo Colnatu SAS, which is part of the same group. The company works with Acceso, a regional sourcing partner, to promote regenerative agricultural practices and supply chain transparency.

The funds raised through this campaign will finance the construction of a new food-grade processing facility and the acquisition of integrated production equipment. The goal is to expand Artisan Tropic’s processing capacity in Colombia and support its vertical integration strategy.

The new facility will cover 3.000 sq ft and include integrated lines for plantain peeling, dough preparation, and tortilla production. It will be equipped with the necessary utility infrastructure to allow for phased expansion. 

The investment will also support upgrades to the existing chip production line, including a palm olein filtration system, a seasoning-by-weight dispersion system, and a third packing machine. 

These improvements are expected to increase production efficiency, reduce food waste, improve profitability, and create more value for producers, workers, and the land. 

What is the impact?

Direct

  • Ensuring equal opportunities and reducing inequalities of income: Colnatu has established sustainable value chains that improve the livelihoods of farmers by integrating regenerative agricultural practices, ensuring fair market access, and promoting environmental stewardship. This approach is further developed by the partnership established, in April of this year, with Acceso. A pioneering social business builder whose mission is to create fundamental and lasting economic change in the lives of rural smallholder farming families. 
  • Key Elements of the Partnership:
    • Seed-to-Market Model: Implementation of a proven model that supports smallholder farmers with technical assistance, post-harvest support, and guaranteed market access—ensuring dignity-driven participation in formal markets.
    • Fair Pricing & Stability: Farmers receive fair and stable prices, with transparent negotiations and shared commitments to long-term purchasing.
    • Joint Impact Monitoring: Definition of shared impact metrics (e.g., income improvement, hectares under regenerative transition) for internal reporting and to share with partners and financiers.
    • Field-to-Facility Traceability: Every harvest is tracked from field collection points to the processing facilities.
    • Approximately 400 smallholder farmers will benefit from the increased purchasing volume induced by this investment – due to the scaling up of operations.
  • Promotion of sustainable and resilient food production systems: While Colnatu is not yet certified for it, it has already implemented regenerative agriculture practices in the 95 hectares managed by the partnered farmers. The estimates show that since 2017 with these practices in place, Colnatu has been able to capture approximately 82 metric tons of CO₂ and remove approximately 18,000 litres of chemical inputs associated with synthetic fertilizer. To ensure the effective application of regenerative agriculture, Colnatu partnered with Terra Genesis, an international firm specializing in the design of regenerative systems. Terra Genesis operates at the intersection of agriculture, ecology, and business, supporting individuals and organizations in driving innovation.
  • Creating awareness for more sustainable consumption habits: Colnatu is committed to demonstrating that healthy, sustainably produced snacks have a rightful place in today’s market. The company specializes in plantain and cassava strips and crackers, crafted with a strong focus on using natural ingredients from sustainable sources. Colnatu's dedication to health and sustainability is reflected in the numerous certifications its products have earned, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the USDA Organic Certification, among others.
  • Promotion of fair work opportunities in underserved Colombian communities: Since it’s creation Colnatu has already created 346 jobs in an underserved Colombian community. The business expansion that this investment will promote, is expected to create up to 12 new full-time roles across peeling and processing facility, with hiring prioritized to be women from surrounding communities. 

Indirect

  • Community engagement and support: Established in 2014 by Artisan Tropic, Loves Bloom serves as the organization’s nonprofit branch dedicated to the development of community programs. Its primary objective is to enhance the impact made within the communities it serves. Since its inception, Loves Bloom has supported initiatives in the areas of food, health, education, and sports.

Impact indicators

CO2 avoided per year
clean energy
12
created by our projects
of sustainable
impacted

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

About the Promoter

About
Grupo Colnatu SAS

Direct

  • Ensuring equal opportunities and reducing inequalities of income: Colnatu has established sustainable value chains that improve the livelihoods of farmers by integrating regenerative agricultural practices, ensuring fair market access, and promoting environmental stewardship. This approach is further developed by the partnership established, in April of this year, with Acceso. A pioneering social business builder whose mission is to create fundamental and lasting economic change in the lives of rural smallholder farming families. 
  • Key Elements of the Partnership:
    • Seed-to-Market Model: Implementation of a proven model that supports smallholder farmers with technical assistance, post-harvest support, and guaranteed market access—ensuring dignity-driven participation in formal markets.
    • Fair Pricing & Stability: Farmers receive fair and stable prices, with transparent negotiations and shared commitments to long-term purchasing.
    • Joint Impact Monitoring: Definition of shared impact metrics (e.g., income improvement, hectares under regenerative transition) for internal reporting and to share with partners and financiers.
    • Field-to-Facility Traceability: Every harvest is tracked from field collection points to the processing facilities.
    • Approximately 400 smallholder farmers will benefit from the increased purchasing volume induced by this investment – due to the scaling up of operations.
  • Promotion of sustainable and resilient food production systems: While Colnatu is not yet certified for it, it has already implemented regenerative agriculture practices in the 95 hectares managed by the partnered farmers. The estimates show that since 2017 with these practices in place, Colnatu has been able to capture approximately 82 metric tons of CO₂ and remove approximately 18,000 litres of chemical inputs associated with synthetic fertilizer. To ensure the effective application of regenerative agriculture, Colnatu partnered with Terra Genesis, an international firm specializing in the design of regenerative systems. Terra Genesis operates at the intersection of agriculture, ecology, and business, supporting individuals and organizations in driving innovation.
  • Creating awareness for more sustainable consumption habits: Colnatu is committed to demonstrating that healthy, sustainably produced snacks have a rightful place in today’s market. The company specializes in plantain and cassava strips and crackers, crafted with a strong focus on using natural ingredients from sustainable sources. Colnatu's dedication to health and sustainability is reflected in the numerous certifications its products have earned, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the USDA Organic Certification, among others.
  • Promotion of fair work opportunities in underserved Colombian communities: Since it’s creation Colnatu has already created 346 jobs in an underserved Colombian community. The business expansion that this investment will promote, is expected to create up to 12 new full-time roles across peeling and processing facility, with hiring prioritized to be women from surrounding communities. 

Indirect

  • Community engagement and support: Established in 2014 by Artisan Tropic, Loves Bloom serves as the organization’s nonprofit branch dedicated to the development of community programs. Its primary objective is to enhance the impact made within the communities it serves. Since its inception, Loves Bloom has supported initiatives in the areas of food, health, education, and sports.

Promoter website

https://artisantropic.com/

Team

[{"id":351,"promoter_id":360,"name":"Juan Guzman","description":"CEO of a fast-growing snack brand, leading growth, fundraising, and cross-border ops. Former pro athlete turned regenerative food entrepreneur. Fluent in Spanish/English, with deep CPG experience and a mission to transform food systems.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanpguzman/","role":"Co-Founder / CEO","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/686/1fe/178/6861fe178aa23211186796.png","avatar_id":194239},{"id":352,"promoter_id":360,"name":"Margarita Guzman","description":"Co-founder of a national snack brand and a successful distribution company sold to Grupo Bimbo. 42+ years in accounting, business ops, and leadership. Scaled Artisan Tropic nationally. Mentor to LatAm entrepreneurs. Known for precision and positivity.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarita-guzman-094a92303/","role":"Co-Founder / Controller","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/686/1fe/178/6861fe178f137421891115.png","avatar_id":194240},{"id":353,"promoter_id":360,"name":"Camilo Guzman","description":"Founder of 5 companies across the U.S. and Colombia. Scaled Artisan Tropic to 6,000+ U.S. stores. Oversees our state of the art manufacturing facility. Expert in cross-border logistics, ops, and growth. 45+ years in global trade and supply chains.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilo-guzman-a01341331/","role":"Co-Founder / COO","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/686/1fe/179/6861fe1792c1f942419876.png","avatar_id":194241},{"id":354,"promoter_id":360,"name":"Greg Krupa","description":"18 years in social entrepreneurship and impact investing, scaling high-impact ventures across the Americas through capital and blended finance.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-krupa/","role":"Partner / Investor Relations","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/686/2a9/215/6862a92159c1a401254519.png","avatar_id":194277},{"id":355,"promoter_id":360,"name":"Eric Fishel","description":"20+ yrs finance, ops & sustainability leadership. Scaled regenerative spice biz in Tanzania 4x and built supply chain for 700+ farmers. Ex–Wells Fargo VP, UChicago MBA. Expert in impact-driven growth, supply chains & capital strategy.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-fishel-9974035/","role":"CFO","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/686/1fe/179/6861fe1799ac9580293979.png","avatar_id":194243}]

Business Model

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