Sapia, formerly Piel Acida, was originally conceived in 1995 by Ana Piedrahita, an entrepreneur in Colombia‘s capital city of Bogota. Piedrahita had seen a box from Uruguay that was produced from dried orange peel, and recognized the potential for producing a wide array of unique and intriguing items from this material. She decided to pursue a business specializing in the design and production of the products. The organization was formally registered in 2000.Sapia has incorporated fair trade principles in its operation, as it seeks to develop the artisan-based handicraft sector in Colombia. While Colombia has recently achieved a relatively good macroeconomic climate, people in the lower income brackets continue to face serious challenges. They have used their sales growth as an opportunity to reach out to other artisan groups in rural areas of the country.