Piel Acida is an artisan based organization located in the urban city of Bogota, Colombia. The organization was conceived in 1995 by Ana Piedrahita, an entrepreneur from Bogota. She was inspired by a handmade box from Uruguay made from dried orange peels. She experimented with the idea and was able to succeed in producing a wide array of unique and intriguing items from this very natural and sustainable material. Constant demand from the market and the potential of this innovative product lead to the formal registration of Piel Acida in 2000. Today Piel Acida works with artisan communities across Colombia, creating a wide range of contemporary and traditional crafts.

Piel Acida employs more than 12 artisans who work in their factory and approximately 30 more artisans that work from their home permitting women to help support their families while caring for their children. While Piel Acida employs both men and women, the majority of workers are women providing needed income-generating opportunities for women in Colombia. The artisans at Piel Acida participate in the decisions that affect their livelihoods, such as wage determination for the products they create. This involvement is vital as each is paid depending upon the number of pieces they produce in a month. Piel Acida makes certain that the wages paid are fair and exceed the minimum wage laws for Colombia. The organization also provides other benefits to its artisans such as accident and health insurance, educational assistance for children, housing loans, and time for recreation. The sense of security artisans feel with Piel Acida contributes to an aura of unity with the organization as they lend their experience and skills to create sustainable and viable products, helping to position Piel Acida as a dominate force in the fair trade market.

Apart from the artisans that Piel Acida directly employs, it also supports indirectly many others who are part of their supply chain for raw materials which include orange peels, tagua nuts, mazorca leaves, and wood. These natural materials are made into beautiful and innovative products by artisans at Piel Acida, as they seek to develop the artisan-based handicraft sector in Colombia.

For a short video about the history of Piel Acida, please click here.