Maritza’s Spices: CGSGI Supports Organic Spice Growers in Colombia
Mariza Parra Córdoba holds some of her fruit crop
Maritza Parra Córdoba always dreamed of managing her own business, but never thought that dream would become reality in the impoverished region of Chocó, Colombia, where she grew up.
To make a living and provide for her four daughters, Maritza began cultivating and selling spices, such as basil, cilantro, ginger, and turmeric – a trade she had learned as a child from her mother.
Maritza’s persistence and hard work began to pay off and, over the years, demand for her spices grew. Wanting her business to expand, she decided to partner with other women in the area and create La Red de Mujeres para el Desarrollo (the Women’s Development Network). "Today," says Maritza, "we have 75 growers, while four of us process the raw materials, which are packaged in Medellín and then sold in large chain stores such as Exito and Carrefour in the main cities in Colombia." Thirteen years after she started her business, Maritza employs 85 women and has one of the most successful enterprises in the troubled region.
The success and subsequent expansion of Maritza’s business, now known as TANA, is benefitting the community not only by promoting job creation and providing a source of income for other women, but also by blazing trails for other up-and-coming businesses in the disadvantaged region. CGSGI is supporting TANA to ensure that it continues to grow and eventually is able to operate without NGO support so that one day Maritza will be able to realize her dream of managing a large, independently operated business.
