BioD is a sustainability leader in colombian agribusiness

It advances projects across its entire value chain, promoting good practices for environmental protection and the well-being of its employees.

The company’s strategy focuses on developing agribusiness with zero deforestation and efficient use of water resources. It has also declared its intention to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2035, becoming the first company in its sector to do so. To achieve this, it is advancing a series of initiatives that involve and benefit every member of what it calls its Symbiotic Business Circle: its customers, its suppliers, the environment, wildlife, communities, and the more than 8,300 employees across its value chain. One of its major achievements has been maintaining its Great Place To Work (GPTW) certification for more than 8 years.

Since the company was founded 15 years ago, BioD has been committed to the efficient use of natural resources, especially water. That is why it recirculates more than 90% of its process wastewater and harvests rainwater, making efficient use of this resource.

As part of its commitment to carbon neutrality, BioD is working with its supplier partners to harness the methane that results from covering effluent lagoons. This natural fuel generates energy for its production processes and is one example of the energy efficiency of its chain and of its reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

To protect biodiversity, the company developed an ecological corridor in Facatativá, where its biorefinery is located—specifically in the Mancilla rural district—by planting more than 7,000 native species. In addition to this initiative, it has been encouraging entrepreneurship and ecotourism within the community.

The community is an integral part of BioD’s reason for being because, “Above all, everyone must benefit.”

Javier Ospina, general manager of BioD, notes: “Our corporate commitment and purpose is to drive renewable solutions for a sustainable future. We are consistent in delivering a reliable and responsible business model to the market. One of the projects we are advancing is the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil. For every liter of used cooking oil we receive, we prevent 1,000 liters of water from being contaminated. By 2025, we will reduce our direct emissions by 30 percent as part of our commitment to carbon neutrality by 2035.”

COMMUNITIES MATTER

The community is an integral part of BioD’s reason for being, which is why it develops a series of benefits for the people and populations around its biorefinery in Facatativá.

One of these initiatives focuses on children, who are Colombia’s future. Five years ago, the company created a program to develop soft skills in boys and girls: emotional intelligence, critical thinking, leadership, and resilience. Through this program, it has reached more than 1,300 children in the communities where it operates.

A COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS MODEL

BioD is betting on the energy transition and the decarbonization of the planet through products and services that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. It currently produces biodiesel, a natural, renewable, and clean fuel that reduces CO₂ emissions by 91% compared to fossil fuel. In 2023, BioD helped reduce emissions by nearly 700,000 tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to 90 days without cars in Bogotá.

One of its most relevant environmental initiatives is its entry—with the approval of the Ministry of Mines and Energy—into the development of higher voluntary blends in Bogotá and Medellín, the cities with the highest pollution in the country.

Ospina explains that today, biodiesel is blended with conventional diesel at a regulated 10% nationwide, while voluntary blends contain 20% biodiesel. This blend can reduce airborne particulate matter by 30 to 70%, helping prevent respiratory illnesses, especially in children and older adults. One of the company’s long-term challenges is diversifying its portfolio. That is why it has set its sights on air and maritime transport.

“We are betting on innovation, and we want to expand our reach by contributing to the development of biorenewable solutions, not only for land-based fuels but also for aviation (SAF, sustainable aviation fuel) and the maritime sector. We also want to enter new markets with ‘bio-based’ products made from raw materials that continue to promote the development of Colombian agribusiness, create more formal jobs, and contribute to environmental quality, allowing us to continue being an example for our country’s industry,”, the general manager of BioD concludes.