Abstract
Although Colombia has the potential to be a cocoa producer for fine flavor and high value markets, it is not greatly recognized as such. In spite of the government’s interest to position the country as a major specialty cocoa producer, no strategic actions have been taken to develop and strengthen this aspect of the value chain. This study structured a technology roadmap for the sector that identifies major research and development investment opportunities by examining the current challenges and weaknesses in key dimensions of the sector (e.g., postharvest technology, quality, capacity, and markets) that impinge on quality and add value to the product. These challenges are identified through a multidimensional and region-specific gap analysis that integrates the advances and technological trends developed worldwide as ideal practice scenarios. The findings of this study should help in prioritizing the investment of public and private resources in the sector in order to better position Colombia in the global specialty cocoa market.
Highlights
As the global cocoa system is being revolutionized through product differentiation, consumers seek to ensure that value and uniqueness are captured and preserved throughout the supply chain [1].new specialty lines are highly valued based on the uniqueness of their flavor and aroma as well as intangible attributes, some of which are related to cocoa’s geographic origin [2]
This study focuses on the producer segment of the Colombian value chain, using the technology roadmapping methodology [23,24] to identify quality and competitiveness bottlenecks and proposing a plan that can guide policy makers to address the constraints associated with the main bottlenecks
“specialty cocoa”, which includes fine flavor cocoa (FFC), a segment characterised by having sensory profiles with flower, fruit, caramel, walnut, and chocolate notes
Summary
As the global cocoa system is being revolutionized through product differentiation, consumers seek to ensure that value and uniqueness are captured and preserved throughout the supply chain [1].new specialty lines are highly valued based on the uniqueness of their flavor and aroma as well as intangible attributes, some of which are related to cocoa’s geographic origin [2]. Many countries within this geographic range have built their cocoa sector around an undifferentiated bulk commodity concept, where commodity companies prized quantity over quality [4]. Under this model, beans with heterogeneous traits are mixed at different postharvest stages and much of the value of the traits as well as the countries’ competitive advantage are lost. Much of the traditional knowledge regarding production management and technological options in these countries has become obsolete due to changes in the nature of value creation in global value chains [5]
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