At a Glance
Location: Colombia
Impact Areas: Affordable Technology, Environment, Climate Change, Suppliers
People Supported:
Small-scale Farmers
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2024
Overview
Founded in 2017, Novatio brings clean energy solutions to the agriculture industry in Colombia, including remote farming communities where poverty rates are high and access to infrastructure and basic services is limited.
In Colombia, close to 1.6 families cook with firewood and non-renewable energy sources such as coal and gas due to a lack of affordable clean energy alternatives. Woodfire has harmful environmental effects and also poses serious health risks. Women and children, who are typically responsible for cooking and household tasks, are more exposed to smoke and small health-damaging particles, putting them at greater risk of developing respiratory conditions.
Through its social and environmental programs, Novatio provides families in rural Colombia with technical and financial assistance to transition their farms and homes to clean energy sources. Novatio supports families to install and use biodigesters, which naturally break down organic material such as food and animal waste, to produce biogas and nutrient-rich fertilizer to grow crops. Biogas is a sustainable, green fuel that is used for cooking, reducing household pollution and protecting health.
Novatio places great emphasis on raising awareness of the health and economic benefits of using biodigesters, and ensures families have the skills to treat and repurpose their waste as a valuable resource. The 90 farming families supported by Novatio have saved up to USD $350 annually on fuel and approximately four hours of labor time normally spent weekly collecting and cutting wood.
Over six years, Novatio’s work to bring clean energy solutions to rural communities in Colombia has produced 40,000 m3 of biogas, preventing 166,000 tons of CO2 emissions and saving 150 tons of wood being cut down from protected forests.
Results & Impact
166,000
tons of CO2 emissions prevented
+1,600
individuals expected to be impacted by 2026
269
women expected to be trained by 2025
““Novatio’s social impact programs not only seek to provide access to reliable technology, but also to improve the living conditions of all the families we benefit and support. With NESsT’s strategic support, we will focus on building solid impact indicators and creating valuable connections with organizations, funders, and partners to amplify our impact in Colombia’s rural farming communities.””
NESsT Investment
Novatio has generated significant impact for rural communities through its social and environmental programs across Colombia. With the long-term strategic support of NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, Novatio aims to expand this impact. By 2026, it will support more than 1,000 families in rural Colombia to transition away from fuels that are harmful to their health and the environment.
To support these efforts, Novatio will begin research to implement a carbon credit scheme aimed at companies with climate commitments. By selling carbon credits to secure funding, Novatio will finance, install, and provide maintenance support for its biodigesters, benefitting farming families on a larger scale.
By leveraging NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship’s support in social impact measurement, partnership development, and funding acquisition, Novatio aims to achieve annual impact goals that include transforming 20,000 tons of organic waste, reducing 8,000 tonnes of CO2, and reducing the consumption of firewood by 3,000 tonnes.