AGROSAVIA launches innovative Technological Offering for livestock farming in Santander: Utilization of coffee by-products

Bucaramanga, Santander. July 16, 2025. AGROSAVIA, in collaboration with local producers, is pleased to announce the launch of a new Technological Offering (TO) aimed at transforming livestock farming in Santander and other coffee-growing regions of the country. This innovation, the result of six years of research and co-creation, enables the use of coffee by-products as a sustainable source of animal feed, generating added value, reducing environmental impact, and strengthening food security and economic profitability.

 

A Path of Research and Collaboration

The development of this TO is the result of approximately six years of rigorous, phased research. It initially stemmed from concerns raised by producers in the Comunera province of Santander, who were seeking alternatives for the use of coffee by-products to reduce the environmental burden on agroecosystems.

The research process advanced significantly thanks to the funding of projects from the -A Ciencia Cierta- program by Minciencias, as well as regional projects supported by the Government of Santander, with AGROSAVIA serving as a key ally and executor.

The research covered several crucial stages:

• Characterization of coffee by-products: An in-depth analysis to understand their properties and potential.

• Standardization in silage preparation: Defining optimal methods to transform the by-products into animal feed.

• Field evaluation of cattle productivity response to silage: Field evaluation of cattle productivity response to silage: Real-world trials to determine the impact on livestock production.

As stated by researcher Juan Leonardo Cardona from AGROSAVIA’s La Suiza Research Center, located in Rionegro, Santander, this process was carried out in a participatory manner, fostering a valuable exchange of knowledge between producers and the Corporation’s researchers

 

Co-innovation at the Heart of the Project

Around 35 producers and their families—men and women from the Comunera Association of Cattle Ranchers (ASOCOGAN)—were fundamental pillars of this research. Their participation was active and consistent, involving themselves in every stage of the process:

• On-field co-innovation: Contributing their experience and practical knowledge.

• Proposal formulation: Helping to scale the innovation.

• Results discussion: Analyzing and validating findings.

• Authorship in publications: Participating in the creation of scientific articles and outreach materials.

• Field workshops and method demonstrations: Sharing knowledge with other producers.

 

A Message of Sustainability and Opportunity for the Agricultural Sector

Although this technology was developed and validated in the Comunera province of Santander, its reach extends to many other regions in the country with similar coffee-livestock systems. Producers from regions such as Antioquia, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, Huila, Tolima, and Cauca can adopt this technological offering to add value to the hundreds of tons of coffee by-products generated annually—most of which currently lack proper disposal and pose a considerable environmental impact.

The implementation of this TO not only addresses an environmental challenge but also represents a sustainable source of animal feed, strengthening food security processes and promoting economic profitability at the Peasant, Family, Ethnic, and Community Scale (ECFEC).

With this launch, AGROSAVIA reaffirms its commitment to innovation and the sustainable development of Colombia’s agricultural sector, offering practical solutions that benefit both agricultural producers and the environment.