Taller Sami

The Tropical Colors of Colombia around the World/ Los Colores Tropicales de Colombia por el Mundo

Image 6483441

Authors

Felipe Lara

Felipe Lara

Claudia Paredes

Claudia Paredes

Hector Julian Alba Sánchez

Hector Julian Alba Sánchez

School

Universidad Externado de Colombia

Universidad Externado de Colombia

Professor

Marcela Ortega Leal

Marcela Ortega Leal

Global Goals

5. Gender Equality 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 12. Responsible Consumption and Production

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Summary

Taller Sami nature made crafts is a Colombian company located in the south west of the country in the city of Popayán. This company belongs to the secondary sector of the economy, crafts and industry.

With the aim of setting and decorating homes and other spaces, Taller Sami was founded by Rosa Mercedes Paredes Tovar. Its concept consists of producing exact replicas of Colombian fruits and vegetables, capturing exact colors and textures from recyclable and synthetic materials and organic waste.

Its founder, being close to her retirement from work, found a new trade through crafts, a way to generate income for her family and people from the region who joined the workshop as it grew and positioned itself.

In Colombia there are more than 2,000 artisans and Rosa Paredes has managed to employ a total of 21 people, 62% of whom are women, with decent working conditions and favorable remuneration promoting decent work; that has allowed them to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. "In addition, 14 work from the comfort of their homes and the other 7 are on the job in the workshop" (Paredes, 2023), he has also managed to train them, transmitting their knowledge of crafts and forging a specialized work team.

Taller Sami products have achieved a higher level of perfection, becoming in some cases unrecognizable for consumers, to differentiate between a natural fruit and a replica of Taller Sami. This has turned them into products of interest for hotels, exporters of handicrafts, film and television productions, restaurants, shops, decoration and for the home.

Its success has allowed it to get out of the conventional, and innovate with large fruits. Something unconventional in the market, but that maintains the quality standards of Taller Sami. Its portfolio of fruits and vegetables is varied, offering endless options for all consumer tastes.

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Taller Sami nature made crafts is a Colombian company located in the southwestern part of the country in the city of Popayán. This company belongs to the secondary sector of economy, crafts and industry.

With the aim of setting and decorating homes and other spaces, Taller Sami was founded by Rosa Mercedes Paredes Tovar. Its concept is to produce exact replicas of Colombian fruits and vegetables, capturing exact colors and textures from recyclable materials, synthetics and organic waste (Paredes, 2023).

Its founder, being close to her retirement from work, found through crafts a new trade, a way to generate income for her family and people from the region who joined the workshop as it grew and positioned itself.

In Colombia there are more than 2,000 artisans and Rosa Paredes, has managed to employ a total of 21 people (of which 62% are women) with decent working conditions and favorable remuneration, promoting decent work. This has allowed them to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. "In addition, 14 work from the comfort of their homes and the other 7 are on the floor in the workshop" (Paredes, 2023). She has also managed to train them, transmitting their knowledge in crafts and forging a specialized work team.

The products of Taller Sami have achieved a higher level of perfection, becoming in some cases unrecognizable for consumers to differentiate between a natural fruit and a replica of Taller Sami. This has made them products of interest for hotels, exporters of handcrafts, film and television productions, restaurants, shops, decoration and for the home.

Its success has allowed it to go beyond the conventional and innovate with large fruits. Something unconventional on the market but that maintains the quality standards of Taller Sami, its portfolio of fruits and vegetables is varied, providing endless options for all consumer tastes.


Innovation

Rosita como bien la conoce, encontró la combinación perfecta entre lo natural y lo artificial, logrando inmortalizar los colores y preservar las texturas de las frutas y verduras colombianas haciéndolas duraderas, e innovadoras dentro de la gama tradicional de las artesanías colombianas.

Colombia, tiene una gran diversidad de frutas, lo que la convierte en un atractivo para los turistas. Taller Sami le apostó a que sus productos sean un recuerdo del país que les permita recordar su estancia en él, su riqueza y sus colores.

Quizás uno de los factores más sobresalientes de Taller Sami, es su capacidad y la técnica que le ha permitido para convertir desechos en hermosas artesanías y artículos de lujo que inclusive dan a importantes tiendas dentro y fuera de Colombia, pues así no se ve a la vista , la mayoria de las frutas y verduras estan fabricadas a base de materiales reciclados de embalajes y construcciones.

La perseverancia de Rosita y su constante perfeccionismo, nos comenta “he llevado a Taller Sami a ser campeón de producto innovador en Expo Artesanías Bogotá y Manos de Oro en Popayán, además de ser reconocido y recibir elogios por grandes empresas como (Casa Luker, Frunet )” (Paredes, 2023), que se han convertido en sus clientes potenciales, quienes han llevado los productos a ferias alrededor del mundo.

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Rosita, as she is well known, found the perfect combination between the natural and the artificial, managing to immortalize the colors and preserve the textures of Colombian fruits and vegetables and making them durable and innovative within the traditional range of Colombian crafts.

Colombia has a great diversity of fruits, which makes it an attraction for tourists. Taller Sami bets that its products are a souvenir of the country that allows them to remember their stay in it, its wealth and its colors.

Perhaps one of the most outstanding factors of Taller Sami is its ability and technique that has allowed it to turn waste into beautiful crafts and luxury items that it even gives to important stores inside and outside Colombia. Because even if it is not perceptible to the eye, most of the fruits and vegetables are made from recycled materials for packaging and construction.

With Rosita's perseverance and constant perfectionism she tells us, "I have led Taller Sami to be champion of innovative product at Expo Artesanías Bogotá and Manos de Oro in Popayán, in addition to being recognized and receiving praise by large companies such as (Casa Luker, Frunet)" (Paredes, 2023), which have become its potential customers, who have taken the products to fairs around the world.


The Tropical Colors of Colombia around the World/ Los Colores Tropicales de Colombia por el Mundo

Inspiration

La inspiración de Rosita, surgió al haber vivido en Pasto Nariño gran parte de su vida, “donde admiraba los artesanos Nariñenses por las habilidades de crear grandiosas carrosas para el festival de blancos y negros” (Paredes, 2023), lo que la motivo a interesarse y aprender nuevas técnicas de pinturas, esculpido en diferentes materiales que requieren un tratamiento especial al ser frágiles y para lograr un punto exacto de durabilidad en la artesanía.

Rosita conto con el apoyo incondicional de su esposo Aurelio Cardona quien desde el momento 0 es su mano derecha; fiel creyente de su habilidad artística para embellecer espacios por medio de sus creaciones.

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Rosita's inspiration arose from having lived in Pasto Nariño for much of her life, "where she admired the Nariño artisans for the skills of creating great floats for the black and white festival" (Paredes, 2023), which motivated her to be interested and learn new painting techniques and sculpting in different materials that require special treatment as they are fragile and to achieve an exact point of durability in the craft.

Rosita counted on the unconditional support of her husband, Aurelio Cardona, who from day one has been her right hand and a faithful believer in her artistic ability to beautify spaces through her creations.


Overall impact

Taller Sami trabaja para contribuir en los siguientes objetivos de desarrollo sostenible:

• “Igualdad de género”; Creando ambiente laboral con las mismas condiciones y remuneración económica, contratando más mujeres que hombres.

• “Trabajo decente y crecimiento económico”; El precio de los productos de Taller Sami son justos y están acordes con el esfuerzo que ellos implican, su mano de obra es elevada, los salarios de sus colaboradores son acordes al trabajo minucioso y detallado que ellos desarrollan.

• “Industria, innovación e infraestructura”; Sami cuenta con un taller donde se realizan procesos de pintura, moldeo, amasado, embalaje y compostaje, con maquinaria y herramienta de poco impacto en la huella de carbono. Generando valor agregado por sus procesos amigables con el medio ambiente.

• “Producción y consumo responsable”; Taller Sami ha implantado un modelo de economía circular en la recolección de desechos y/o residuos de otras industrias, convirtiéndolo en gran parte de su materia prima, trabajando de manera conjunta con las empresas de quien ella toma los desechos.

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Taller Sami works to contribute to the following sustainable development goals:

· "Gender equality": Creating a work environment with the same conditions and economic remuneration, hiring more women than men.

· "Decent work and economic growth": The price of the products of Taller Sami is fair and in accordance with the effort they imply. Their labor is high and the salaries of their collaborators are commensurate with the meticulous and detailed work that they develop.

· "Industry, innovation and infrastructure": Taller Sami has a workshop where painting, molding, kneading, packaging and composting processes are carried out with machinery and tools with little impact on the carbon footprint, generating added value for its environmentally friendly processes.

· "Responsible production and consumption": Taller Sami has implemented a circular economy model in the collection of waste and/or waste from other industries, turning it into a large part of its raw material and working together with the companies from whom it takes the waste.


Business benefit

Rosita, reforzará ser reconocida en el gremio artesanal de Colombia lo que la llevo hacer grandes vínculos comerciales, permitirá capitalizar el activo de la empresa, por medio de dos tipos de líneas de negocio B2B (Grandes cadenas hoteleras de la región atlántica, Comercializadoras artesanales de artesanías dentro y fuera del país) y B2C (Los consumidores del canal tradicional en punto de venta, Consumidor por redes sociales, Asistentes a ferias y Clientes que lo llevan como un recuerdo).

Los consumidores mantienen como primera opción al taller Sami, por la constante innovación en productos de la mejor calidad, donde buscan y preguntan por las frutas de lanzamiento, inclusive hasta le envían a Rosita muestras de frutas originarias de otras regiones, para que ella pueda realizar las réplicas de manera perfecta. Ella menciona que, al tener una fruta natural en sus manos, logra identificar sus características, que refleja en colores y texturas de sus réplicas, es así como su portafolio de productos se mantiene actualizado.

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Rosita managed to be recognized in the artisan guild of Colombia which led her to make great commercial links, allowing her to capitalize on the asset of the company, through two types of B2B business lines (large hotel chains in the Atlantic region, artisanal marketers of handicrafts inside and outside the country) and B2C (consumers of the traditional channel at point of sale, consumer through social networks, attendees at fairs and customers who carry it as a souvenir).

Consumers keep the Taller Sami as their first choice for the constant innovation in products of the best quality, where they look for and ask for the launch fruits, even sending Rosita samples of fruits from other regions, so that she can make the replicas perfectly. She mentions that by having a natural fruit in her hands, she manages to identify its characteristics, which are reflected in the colors and textures of its replicas. This is how her product portfolio stays updated.


Social and environmental benefit

Taller Sami ha impactado en la vida de sus colaboradores brindándoles un trabajo digno que busca mejorar la calidad de vida. Por ejemplo, los colaboradores de la región han podido comprar motocicletas para, usar al taller desde sus casas. Recorridos que anteriormente tomaron más tiempo pues se hacían caminando, además con sus medios de transporte pueden llevar a sus hijos al colegio.

“La alta demanda de productos ha generado que se incluyen más miembros de sus familias en pequeñas labores dentro del taller que son de medio tiempo” (Paredes, 2023), ellos han aprendido nuevas técnicas. Así Taller Sami se ha convertido en una tradición “Transmitir su conocimiento” (Paredes, 2023).

Rosita buscando el perfeccionamiento, en muchas pruebas de ensayo y error, le apostó al uso de materias primas, en base a residuos orgánicos como la piel de coco, pelo de choclo, ramas de palma, rama de chontaduro, puntas de banano, palo de eucalipto, tallo de granadilla, corteza de palma, etc. Materiales que para muchos son “Basura” pero que para el Taller Sami representan un tesoro que perfecciona sus obras.

Es así como a Rosita en una caminata cercana a su taller se le ocurrió la idea de reusar el icopor, desecho por construcciones, mejorando un segundo uso como base de secado para el proceso de pintura y como materia prima base para moldear las frutas. También descubrió que el plástico de embalaje que era desechado por una fábrica de café sería su base para crear estructuras para sus frutas a mezclarlo con otros insumos. Contribuyendo con la conservación del planeta y garantizando una producción responsable.

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Taller Sami has impacted the lives of its employees by providing them with a decent job that seeks to improve their quality of life. For example, employees in the region have been able to buy motorcycles to travel to the workshop from their homes. Routes that previously took more time because they were made walking. In addition, they can take their children to school with their means of transport.

"The high demand for products has generated that more members of their families are included in small tasks within the workshop that are part-time" (Paredes, 2023), and they have learned new techniques. Thus Taller Sami has become a tradition, "transmit your knowledge" (Paredes, 2023).

Rosita looking for improvement, with much trial and error, bet on the use of raw materials, based on organic waste such as coconut skin, corn hair, palm branches, chontaduro branch, banana tips, eucalyptus stick, granadilla stem, palm bark, etc. Materials that for many are "garbage" but for the Sami Workshop represent a treasure that perfects their works.

This is how Rosita on a walk near her workshop came up with the idea of reusing the icopor, waste by constructions, giving them a second use as a drying base for the painting process and as a base raw material to mold the fruits. She also discovered that the plastic packaging discarded by a coffee factory would be her basis for creating structures for her fruits to mix with other inputs, contributing to the conservation of the planet and ensuring responsible production.



Interview

Rosa Mercedes Paredes Tovar, Fundador

Watch video on YouTube

Business information

Taller Sami

Taller Sami

Popayán, Cauca, CO
Year Founded: 2008
Number of Employees: 11 to 50

Taller Sami naturaleza hecha artesanía es una empresa colombiana ubicada al sur Occidente del país de la ciudad de Popayán. Esta empresa pertenece al sector secundario de la economía, artesanía e industria.

Con el ánimo de ambientar y decorar hogares y otros espacios, Taller Sami fue fundado por Rosa Mercedes Paredes Tovar, Su concepto consiste en producir réplicas exactas de frutas y verduras colombianas, plasmando colores y texturas exactas a partir de materiales reciclables, sintéticos y desechos orgánicos.

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Taller Sami nature made crafts is a Colombian company located in the southwestern part of the country in the city of Popayán. This company belongs to the secondary sector of the economy, crafts and industry.

With the aim of setting and decorating homes and other spaces, Taller Sami was founded by Rosa Mercedes Paredes Tovar. Its concept consists of producing exact replicas of Colombian fruits and vegetables, capturing exact colors and textures from recyclable and synthetic materials and organic waste.