Vital Naturaleza: A sustainable honey maker in Colombia (by Javier Montenegro, Isabella Idrobo, Daniela Rodríguez, and Sara Castro)

In an international summer seminar at Colombia’s Los Andes University, my students Javier Montenegro, Isabella Idrobo, Daniela Rodríguez, and Sara Castro studied the sustainability efforts and challenges of honey maker Vital Naturaleza and its founder Lina Castro. Vital Naturaleza’s mission has been to support small beekeepers across Colombia and to help the conservation of biodiversity through small beekeepers and the education of consumers about bees and honey. The students explored and discussed how COVID-19 challenged the company and its move from boutique sales to creating a digital market. Other challenges included the uncertainty in production, the variability in demand, sourcing from remote areas and the honey substitutes available in the market. The students worked closely with Linda and posit numerous propositions and recommendations to overcome the challenges……