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This report outlines the conditions facing Colombia´s food and beverage industry, highlighting its 7 percent growth.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Colombia's corn and rice production are forecast to marginally increase driven by higher domestic prices and expected normalized weather conditions. However, high production costs continue to be a challenge for Colombian producers.

On December 19, 2022, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), in consultation with Colombia's National Institute for Surveillance of Food and Medicines (INVIMA), updated the labeling requirements for meat products listed on the FSIS Export Library page for Colombia.

This report summarizes the activities and outcomes of the SaborUSA Colombia project (July 2021 – June 2022) focused on promoting U.S. beef and pork in Colombia. SaborUSA is a digital marketing initiative that promotes American food products and brands through its own website and social media platforms. Since launching in 2015, SaborUSA now has more than 100,000 followers.

This report outlines Colombia´s food and beverage market conditions, highlighting middle class expansion, retail modernization, and healthy product preference as the main drivers of demand. Consumer habits and preferences continue to evolve, opening opportunities for healthy and sustainable food products.

On December 13, 2022, Colombia's Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MINHEALTH) issued Resolution 2492 of 2022, an amendment of Resolution 810 of 2021 that establishes new front-of-pack label requirements, nutrition profiles, and additional definitions for sweeteners, ultra-processed food, minimally processed food, food products without processing, and processed food products.

While Colombia's regulatory environment remains friendly toward the adoption of biotech-derived commodities and other innovative technologies, Congressional anti-biotechnology initiatives continue posing a threat, risking the benefits to consumers and the agricultural sector. In 2021, genetically engineered corn area planted grew 31 percent, reaching record figures, and genetically engineered cotton area planted recovered 55 percent compared to 2020.

Excessive rains and cloudiness in the last two years have suppressed Colombia's coffee production. In marketing year (MY) 2022/23, Post forecasts Colombian production at 12.6 million bags of green bean equivalent (GBE) coffee. Although local prices remain high, weather conditions are expected to continue affecting crop productivity.

Colombia’s economy is projected to grow at a slower pace in 2023, restricting a more substantial growth in demand for grains in marketing year (MY) 2022/23. Although the United States continues to be the main sourcing option for Colombian importers of corn given trade preferences under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and geographical advantages, increasing competition from Brazilian and Argentinian corn is expected.

This report outlines Colombia’s requirements for import permits and export certificates for multiple food products for human and animal consumption. It also provides a list of the Colombian government agencies involved in the entry of imported food products.

This report is an annual update of the food import standards and enforcement mechanisms in Colombia. It includes updates on nutritional labeling, biotechnology and new information on sustainable packaging policies and trade facilitation in Colombia.

Although the Hotel Restaurant Institutional (HRI) sector in Colombia performed better in 2021, compared to 2020, the sector still faced challenges that hindered a full recovery from the pandemic, including social unrest and high food prices.