Gouda cheese and rural development in Colombia thanks to DGGF
Young entrepreneur Tobias Rijnsdorp produces Dutch cheese in Colombia with receives support from the Dutch Good Growth Fun. He works with Van Vliet cheese farm.
The idea to produce Gouda cheese in Colombia came to Tobias in 2013, when did research for his thesis in Cali, Colombia. As a Gouda native, he missed traditional Gouda cheese and when he gave his Colombian friends some cheese to taste, they loved it too.
This gave him the idea to enter the Colombian market. Two years later, Tobias decided to quit his job in the Netherlands and to embark on the adventure. With DGGF Technical Assistance subsidy and in collaboration with Van Vliet, he was able to research if his plans were feasible.
Social entrepreneur
Tobias uses Dutch machines and knowledge and in a joint venture with a dairy cooperation of 54 small, local farmers in the village of Monquentiva. They’re in full production and is sold under the brand name HolaAndes.
Rijnsdorp’s traditional Gouda cheese is produced with milk from cooperation, adding value to the local milk chain. Young farmers are being trained to make cheese independently. This generates more income and new work opportunities for them.
Read this blog for an interview with cheese maker Rijnsdorp (in Dutch).