KardiaNuts - Pakka Foundation

Investing in Impact

P4G awarded the partnership about $310,000 in grant funding. 

KardiaNuts has developed a 1,200 hectare cashew plantation where it produces and processes jumbo cashew nuts for domestic and international markets. 

The business was the first organic certified cashew farm in Colombia and self-sufficient in the production of seeds and grafts required to produce the cashew trees. This self-sufficiency across the cashew value chain extended to its biofactory where it produced fertilizers for the whole plantation. It also used cover crops to aid soil regeneration. 

The innovation in this business model was the inclusion of local landowners to help expand KardiaNuts supplier base. KardiaNuts entered contracts with landowners to help manage their farms for them. KardiaNuts helped plant, maintain and harvest land that would otherwise go unattended and in return, the landowners sold KardiaNuts their raw cashew nuts at fair trade prices. The business collaborated with the landowners to train them on regenerative agroforestry methods and involved them in the process of growing cashews. KardiaNuts currently operates an additional 350 hectares under this arrangement. 

Key achievements during the P4G funding period between 2024 to 2026:

• Raised US $550,000 in equity investment Boosted productivity for a record harvest of over 105 tons through precision agriculture and regenerative practices
• Was the first cashew processing plant in Colombia to obtain INVIMA registration (the national food and drug regulation agency) 
• Produced 19,500 certified seedling for regional programs and brought almost 2,500 hectares of land under climate smart agricultural practices 

KardiaNuts has painstakingly applied several precision interventions that have led to a 545% increase in the average yield per tree. This includes exhaustive studies of soil types and tailored nutritional plans to suit the requirements of each plot. The startup also implemented a regenerative application system that integrated fertilizers and cover crop sowings in a single machinery pass significantly reducing costs and minimizing soil compaction. The cover crops also served to improve soil health, protect biodiversity and increase food security. 

As part of the journey to market expansion and scaling, the startup focused on obtaining key certifications. In addition to the INVIMA registration, KardiaNuts also received organic certification compliant with USDA and EU standards and Kosher certification. The startup also prepared all the documentation required for Regenerative Organic Certification and Fair for Life certification with the expectation of successfully securing both certifications in 2026. 

In parallel, KardiaNuts launched a circular economy strategy to produce biochar from cashew processing byproducts. The startup moved from the testing to scaling phase, implementing recommendations from cashew production plant experts. In addition to processing optimization, the startup also began diversifying its product portfolio with the production of cashew juice, which already has interested buyers from ice cream producers. 

KardiaNuts commercialization strategies resulted in significant increases in sales from existing clients and formal agreements with new partners. Attendance at strategically important events such as Biofach in Germany and ITC Forum in Switzerland further increased its visibility. 

At its core, KardiaNuts is rooted in uplifting the community around it. The startup produced almost 20,000 certified seedlings to strengthen social development efforts for landless farmers and indigenous communities in Vichada. 

KardiaNuts strengthened its pitch to investors by working on its Environmental, Social and Governance strategy with key goals such as a 70% local supplier list and 30% female representation in decision making process. The startup also formalized its Board of Directors and shareholder agreement. All the rigorous investment readiness activities generated an influx of inbound impact investor interest. 

Knowledge dissemination and capacity building was an integral pillar of the startup’s mission. KardiaNuts and Agrosavia collaborated to produce and disseminate a knowledge product on nutrition and preventative control plans as part of ongoing efforts to systematically build the capacity of farmers in regenerative practices. KardiaNuts also worked with Alpina Foundation to put together a knowledge product on the challenges and successful practices for cashew cultivation, including details on financing challenges and tips for replicating the startup’s success. These transfers of knowledge have resulted in increased capacity among landless farmers, indigenous leaders from four reserves, and those within the Kanalitojo community. Additional knowledge mobilization activities included workshops with farmers in Puerto Carreño and participating in the Cashew Congress in the region to share best practices for cashew crop cultivation using regenerative practices. 

In April 2025, KardiaNuts attended the 2026 P4G Vietnam Summit where it connected with other P4G startups such as SaBio and BATx whose solutions for soil management and circular economy respectively could be useful for projects in Puerto Carreño. 

The partnership also actively collaborated with local and national governments to improve the enabling environment for the cashew industry. As part of this effort, it presented results and recommendations at the Cashew Technical Committee, a forum for collaboration among other producers and sector stakeholders. 

Key Lessons Learned:

• A precision agriculture approach over a standard fertilization plan is more effective in improving yields.
• Professional corporate governance such as the company’s decision making and oversight is key to scaling.
• Clean and transparent financial structure is a mandatory requirement for onboarding impact investors.
• Rigorous due diligence processes such as the one P4G conducted were integral to teaching KardiaNuts how to operate under international standards of transparency and compliance. 

Knowledge products produced during the grant period:

1. Challenges and opportunities in cashew production in Puerto Carreño, Vichada
2. Cashew Agroecosystems: Processes Toward Agroecological Management in Vichada 

Pakka Foundation helped KardiaNuts maintain exporter relationships, ensured that the products met high quality control and traceability standards, and supported the development of KardiaNuts’ Environmental-Social-Governance strategy. 

This partnership comprised the following partners: KardiaNuts (lead business partner); Pakka Foundation (lead administrative partner); and Fundación Alpina. Other collaborators were Agrosavia; Cashew Value Chain; Marañones Delta; Portfolio Verde; and Generation Carbon.