Situation:

Farmland in Northern Colombia’s mountainous Cordoba region is suffering from unprecedented heavy rainfall due to rapid climate change.

In 2022 alone, over 4.9 million acres of Colombia’s crops were lost during rainy season, including cassava, the main ingredient used to make Cerveza Nativa.

Unfortunately, traditional tools used to predict bad weather can’t keep up with climate change. And uneven mountain terrain renders modern weather radar practically useless.

The inability to proactively protect their fields puts farmers’ income and their crops — including cassava — at great risk.

Brief:

Help Nativa support cassava farmers better protect their crops from the devastating effects of climate change.

Objectives:

Fight the war on climate change and help small farmers protect cassava – and all their crops.

Strengthen crop and financial security for farmers and have enough cassava to make Cerveza Nativa.

Reinforce brand loyalty amongst the small farmers who grow Cerveza Nativa’s cassava.

• Scalability

Nativa Meters now protect an estimated 280,000 acres of crops with 20 thousand bottles – approximately 4% of all of Colombia’s farmland, with a stated goal is to cover 50% of all Colombian farmland by the end of 2025. Something we can truly achieve with 50 million bottles being distributed each year.

For just $0.34 USD per bottle, farmers can buy a rain gauge that normally costs $18 USDl — a 98% savings, enabling farmers to replace antiquated rain meters, or even use them for the first time.

• Industry Impact

The success is prompting AB InBev to share Nativa Meter’s innovations with other South American beers in their portfolio, in countries like Ecuador and Peru, whose farmers continue to struggle with the effects of heavy rainfall.

• Data gathering

The data we collected wasn’t used for marketing purposes, but instead, for the pursuit of improved farm production that benefits us all.

Farmers use a Whatsapp number on the label to send current conditions and rainfall data to Nativa Meter’s team of agricultural experts.

• Data interpretation

The experts then analyze the data and advise farmers on better crop management, based on current and predicted weather.

The data is then shared with Colombia’s National Meteorological Institute to update current regional conditions, then collected in an open source weather database that allows meteorologists to gather data points and predict future weather patterns.

• Targeting

This effort is aimed solely at small farmers in northern Colombia's Cordoba region, and is designed to help them improve crop management. To reach them, we simply added the Nativa Meter to the bottle and let word of mouth do the rest.

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• Implementation

Because Nativa Meter is printed on the bottle, implementation was as simple as manufacturing beer, loading delivery trucks and delivering them to local stores using Bavaria/AB InBev’s extensive distribution system.

• Timeline

March 2022: heavy floods strike Colombia

May 2022: concept approved, manufacturing analysis begins

July 2022: prototyping and testing begins

October 2022: design approved, production begins

February 2023: Nativa Meter distribution begins in time for cassava harvest

• Placement

Nativa Meters were placed on the side of the bottle and sold in local markets for farmers to buy, drink and then use the bottle to protect their crops. Digital, social and traditional media weren't used.

• Scale

Initial production run was 20,000 bottles, which now protect 280,000 acres of crops – 4% of all of Colombia’s farmland.

Nativa’s goal is to cover 50% of all Colombian farmland by 2025.

• Sales

38% sales increase in the Cordoba region from March-April 2023. The initial run of 20,000 Nativa Meter bottles sold out in less than a week across the region and were put to use almost immediately.

At $0.34 USD/beer, farmers save 98% on buying a rain gauge versus retail ($18 USD). Overall net savings from the initial run of 20,000 bottles is $353,200, or roughly, the equivalent of 208 Colombian farmers’ annual incomes.

• Engagement

A 200% increase in brand interactions from March-April 2023.

• Reach

Over 280 thousand acres are now protected by Nativa, with a goal of covering 50% of all farmland in 2025. With 50 million bottles distributed yearly, we are truly on our way to achieve.

• Achievement against business targets

75% increase in brand favorability men and women 18-55 in the northern region.

81% increase in purchase intent in the northern region of Colombia.