The Rebirth of Natural Fibers? Analysis of Market Potential for Fique (Furcraea andina) Production in Santander, Colombia Ignacio Díaz and Ingrid Fromm Natural fibers extracted from the leaves of the fique plant (Furcraea andina) are used in Colombia to manufacture coffee sacks and cras. However, the economy associated with the culCvaon of fique in the department of Santander is weak. Moreover, opCmal producCon pracCces have greatly been abandoned by farmers because of poor market demand in the last two decades. However, new market demand for natural ecofriendly fibers to replace plasCc opens up beGer opportuniCes for fique producers. The objecCve of this study was to provide a macro view of the current fique market in Colombia and its potenCal in global markets. Markets Improvements Colombia Santander Current Market to implement • Exploits only useful fiber • Fiber standardizaon to compete globally. • Coffee sacks. • CerCficaons as Bio, • Handcra. FairTrade, Handmade. • Cords. • Traceability. • Labels and Brands. San Gil Poten6al Markets • Qualificaons. • Investment on new • Use of waste. technology. • Use of waste in sub- Figure 1: Map of Santander • Available opportuniCes: products. soap producCon, growth • MarkeCng. 4% of mushroom in fique Studied locaon • Strengthen the producCon substrate, sales of bio- chain. • Small villages close to San mulch and ferClizer. Gil in Santander, Colombia. • Projected opportuniCes: Conclusion • Total of 25 families and pharmaceuCcal industry, 106 hectares. paper producCon, • Non-unified system and upgrading of different lack of future vision. The Problem materials, biofungicide. • Broken value chain. • Abandonment of 96% • Strong entry barriers for producon. potenCal markets. Crop • Poverty. • Economic situaon has not improved in the long term. • Aged populaon. Useful fiber Waste • 76% of farmers have fique • Calculaon showed that • High cost of labor force. as primary crop. income may increase at • Low sale prices. • 59% of them have fique as least 9% per capita if • Lack of educaon. a single crop. Results farmers could produce • Neglected markets. • Farmers have a basics sub-products from • Intermediary selling Economy spontaneous permaculture the waste. system. system. • It is necessary to evaluate • Unexplored new markets. • Salary is just 30% of • 100% of farmers use waste replacing fique with more • Many subsCtute products. minimum wage per capita. as ferClizer. profitable crops. • Lack of site policies. • Subsistence economy. • 72% of them do not use • Misuse of raw materials. • 24% of farmers are in agrochemicals. • Environmental impact. worse economic situaons • Climate Change. over me. References • Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, 2004. Acuerdo para el fomento de la producción y la compeCCvidad • Cadena ProducCva Nacional del Fique, 2006. Guía Ambiental del Subsector Fiquero. del subsector del fique. • FAO, 2017. Fibras del futuro. • Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural y Cadena ProducCva del Fique, 2014. Ficha Técnica CulCvo del Fique. • Justo I, Vidal C, 2011. Fique Historia y futuro de una fibra vegetal. • Zamosc L, 1981. El Fique y los Mercados en Colombia. Bern University Ignacio Díaz of Applied Sciences [email protected] Ingrid Fromm [email protected] .