Dario Alzate Medina/
Aburrá and the Colombian bean market

Tell us a little about the history of your company. 
Aburrá was born from a crisis, in January 1985. We were packing 3 products, with 4 people, a semiautomatic machine and a lot of growth ahead of us. We now have a staff of 300 people, a strong brand and have developed our portfolio, thanks to the quality of our people and of our products. Today we import from 15 countries, across the Americas, in Europe and Asia.


What does the future look like for Aburrá?
We currently work with 15 countries; in Asia with China and Thailand and in Europe with Greece and Spain, as well as throughout the Americas. We have begun exporting into more of Europe and the Caribbean and we want to expand further into the Colombian market - all of this while maintaining the same levels of quality.


In your opinion, what makes you stand out as one of the most important pulse trading companies in Columbia? 
We never compromise on low prices and high quality. We like to say: “We are the best of the harvest.


What does bean consumption look like in Colombia?
Colombia produces about 70 thousand tons of beans, which goes to domestic consumption but it is not enough to supply the whole country and so we need to import as well. Sometimes the US increases prices too much, which can be an obstacle, because we are very interested in importing US beans because the quality is the best. We have some contacts but sometimes the prices are too difficult to deal with.
I believe consumption will continue to increase. The rise in popularity of Mexican dishes, which often contain beans, and the entry into Colombia of other cultures, such as immigration from Venezuela has created lots of opportunities in the industry. Columbia is a great destination for bean exporters and it is well-located with well-organized foreign trade. 


Pulses are the main providers of protein and vitamins in a plant-based diet, how do you see the future of pulses in a world where meat consumption is increasingly problematic due to its impact on the environment?
Pulses are an opportunity! People have been gaining more and more understanding of the richness of vegetable proteins and how animal proteins can be replaced. In Colombia, there is little investment in the promotion of pulse consumption and young people are afraid of eating beans because they think it makes them gassy.


How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your trading?
Consumption of pulses went up, but so did prices!


What’s new in transportation technology in Colombia?
The whole system has been modernised, bulk transportation is easier, the ports have been modernised and the truck system has been renewed as well. The biggest drawback right now is problems with highways, truck stoppages and, of course, the high freight rates.


What are the main foreign policy developments currently impacting the market in Colombia?
We have free trade agreements with many countries in the world and this generates healthy price competition. Colombia is an opportunity! My market is cultural and we must teach the public about the benefits of consuming pulses, but for that, we need to invest in aggressive educational campaigns, including recipes that reach all social levels and cover all legumes. Ideally, we can carry out a permanent, ideological change.


With so many years in the same industry, do you have plans to enter a new market?
We are entering the ready-to-eat pulses market, as well as the preserves and canned vegetables market. We can see very immediate potential there.


Where do you spend your free time? What are your favourite moments outside of work?
I love Nature and so I live in the countryside with my partner. We read and watch a little TV. I also love to travel and do so as much as I can.


We like to know good stories, tell us something funny or interesting that has happened to you in all these years of work?
Commercially, changing headquarters was really big for us. We went from being in the same premises for 35 years to move into a huge, modern building.


What are you most proud of having done in life?
I have had a life of helping the community, for the past 20 years I’ve been giving talks on personal growth and customer service, sowing seeds throughout Colombia and internationally. I think I have reached all kinds of audiences on a profound level.