Colombian Cocoa Research Articles

Cadmium maps to aid Colombian cocoa producers

Cadmium maps to aid Colombian cocoa producers

Impactos ecológicos, económicos y sociales del sector cacaotero colombiano

Due to its excellent quality, Colombian cocoa has become a product that has made considerable inroads in the national and international market, increasing its demand and the effects inherent to its production practices. This scope review was carried out following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), which allowed the selection of 72 documents, whose information extraction led to the identification and standardization of the economic, ecological and social impacts of the cocoa sector in the different producing cities of Colombia, of which Santander, Antioquia, Arauca, Huila and Tolima stand out since they generate 70 % of the cocoa production at the national level. In the review, a total of 13 social, 25 ecological and 21 economic impacts are clearly observed, which correspond to the most persistent impacts evidenced in the different investigations carried out in this country.

Life cycle assessment of Colombian cocoa pod husk transformation into value-added products

Cocoa production is an important activity for the Colombian agro-industry; however, the production of dry cocoa beans generates agricultural residues as the shells known as cocoa pod husk (CPH), represent 65 to 75 % of the fruit's wet weight. In this contribution, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted on the use of Colombian CPH to obtain activated carbon, potassium hydroxide and cellulose; production of KOH showed the lowest environmental impact. It was found that electricity consumption during the transformation process emerges as the primary contributor in the impact evaluation, and the categories with the most significant impact are HTPc, FETP and METP. When solar drying was considered for CPH pretreatment instead of drying in an oven, the impact quantification significantly decreased up to 63 % to produce cellulose, 56 % for KOH and 32 % for activated carbon. The value-added products obtained exhibit favorable properties, making them suitable for various potential applications.

Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis for Studying Differences in High-Quality Colombian Cocoa Beans.

Colombia is a producer of fine cocoa, according to the International Cocoa Organization; however, most of its exports are in the ordinary cocoa category. To remedy this situation, several national organizations are working to create technological platforms for small producers to certify the quality of their beans. The objective of this study was to identify differential chemical markers in 36 cocoa bean samples from five Colombian departments and associate them with cocoa quality properties. For this purpose, a non-targeted metabolomics approach was performed using UHPLC-HRMS, along with sensory and physicochemical analyses. The 36 samples did not differ in sensory quality, polyphenol content, and theobromine/caffeine ratio. However, the multivariate statistical analysis allowed us to differentiate the samples into four clusters. In addition, a similar grouping of the samples was also observed in the physical analyses. The metabolites responsible for such clustering were investigated with univariate statistical analysis and presumptively identified by comparison of experimental mass spectra with those reported in databases. Alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, peptides, quinolines, and sulfur compounds were identified as discriminants between sample groups. Here, it was presented the metabolic profiles as an important chemical feature for further studies in quality control and more specific characterization of fine cocoa.

Artificial intelligence solutions to reduce information asymmetry for Colombian cocoa small-scale farmers

The lack of information creates problems for Colombian small-scale farmers, as it impedes them from selling at fair prices and knowing efficient production techniques. Around the world, many technological interventions have proven helpful in reducing information asymmetries. Therefore, we proposed a technological scheme based on a genetic algorithm and a natural language processor (NLP) that enables producers to obtain knowledge through information processing. Also, we ran fieldwork in twenty municipalities and a survey among 500 Colombian cocoa small-scale farmers in different regions in Colombia. This fieldwork helps us determine small-scale farmers' necessities, market conditions, and the relevance of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool. The results have shown that AI methodologies could improve the economic conditions of small farmers by providing access to information on prices, weather, and production techniques. The fieldwork evidence that a technological tool is a good option only if there are dynamic trade cycles. AI tools could transmit and process information to become producers' knowledge and help them evolve into collective strategies. The methodology, which combines genetic algorithms, NLP, and fieldwork for cocoa farming, is a novelty that contributes to information asymmetry reduction. We contributed to the literature about adopting AI tools to develop cocoa small-scale farming better.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Microfibers from Colombian Cocoa Pod Husk via Chemical Treatment with Pressure Effects.

One of the current challenges is to add value to agro-industrial wastes, and the cocoa industry generates about 10 tons of cocoa pod husks in Colombia for each ton of cocoa beans, which are incinerated and cause environmental damage. This study characterized the Colombian cocoa pod husk (CPH) and to isolate and characterize cellulose microfibers (tCPH) extracted via chemical treatment and pressure. Chemical and physical analyses of CPH were performed, and a pretreatment method for CPH fibers was developed, which is followed by a hydrolysis method involving high pressure in an autoclave machine with an alkaline medium (6% NaOH), and finally, bleaching of the fiber to obtain tCPH. The tCPH cellulose microfibers were also chemically and physically analyzed and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Chemical and physical characterization showed a decrease in lignin content in tCPH. FTIR analysis showed the absence of some peaks in tCPH with respect to the CPH spectrum; XRD results showed an increase in crystallinity for tCPH compared to CPH, due to a higher presence of crystalline cellulose in tCPH. SEM images included a control fiber treated without high pressure (tCPHnpe), and agglomerated fibers were observed, whereas cellulose microfibers with a mean diameter of 10 ± 2.742 μm were observed in tCPH. Finally, with TGA and DTGA it was confirmed that in tCPH, the hemicellulose and lignin were removed more successfully than in the control fiber (tCPHnpe), showing that the treatment with pressure was effective at isolating the cellulose microfibers from cocoa pod husk.

Talaromyces santanderensis: A New Cadmium-Tolerant Fungus from Cacao Soils in Colombia.

Inorganic pollutants in Colombian cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) agrosystems cause problems in the production, quality, and exportation of this raw material worldwide. There has been an increased interest in bioprospecting studies of different fungal species focused on the biosorption of heavy metals. Furthermore, fungi constitute a valuable, profitable, ecological, and efficient natural soil resource that could be considered in the integrated management of cadmium mitigation. This study reports a new species of Talaromyces isolated from a cocoa soil sample collected in San Vicente de Chucurí, Colombia. T. santanderensis is featured by Lemon Yellow (R. Pl. IV) mycelium on CYA, mono-to-biverticillade conidiophores, and acerose phialides. T. santanderensis is distinguished from related species by its growth rate on CYAS and powdery textures on MEA, YES and OA, high acid production on CREA and smaller conidia. It is differentiated from T. lentulus by its growth rate on CYA medium at 37 °C without exudate production, its cream (R. PI. XVI) margin on MEA, and dense sporulation on YES and CYA. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using a polyphasic approach, including different phylogenetic analyses of combined and individual ITS, CaM, BenA, and RPB2 gene sequences that indicate that it is new to science and is named Talaromyces santanderensis sp. nov. This new species belongs to the Talaromyces section and is closely related to T. lentulus, T. soli, T. tumuli, and T. pratensis (inside the T. pinophilus species complex) in the inferred phylogeny. Mycelia growth of the fungal strains was subjected to a range of 0–400 mg/kg Cd and incorporated into malt extract agar (MEA) in triplicates. Fungal radial growth was recorded every three days over a 13-day incubation period and In vitro cadmium tolerance tests showed a high tolerance index (0.81) when the mycelium was exposed to 300 mg/kg of Cd. Results suggest that T. santanderensis showed tolerance to Cd concentrations that exceed the permissible limits for contaminated soils, and it is promising for its use in bioremediation strategies to eliminate Cd from highly contaminated agricultural soils.

Antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content and methylxantine ratio in four materials of Theobroma cacao L. from Tolima, Colombia

The International Cocoa Organization recognized Colombian cocoa as "fine aroma," but in recent years, clone CCN 51 has grown in popularity, widely due to its high yield. The Tolima department is the fourth producer of cacao in Colombia, but there is a lack of knowledge of the chemical properties of regional cocoa genotypes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological, antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content and the methylxanthines ratio of four regional genotypes (UTLP02, UTVE01, UTGC01 and UTLM02) of Theobroma cacao L. from Tolima, Colombia. The universal clone of CCN51 was used as control. The highest values for the qualitative descriptors were obtained by the variants UTVE01 and CCN51 with FRAP and TPC ranging from 44.51 ± 0.90 to 106.77 ± 5.21 mg GAE/g and 27.13 ± 0.14 to 52.12 ± 4.71 mmol TE/g respectively. The genotypes with the highest values for FRAP and TPC were UTGC01 and CCN51. According to the methylxanthine ratio, UTVE01 was classified as Criollo, while UTLM02, UTGC01 and UTLP02, CCN51 are Trinitario and Forastero, respectively. Although CCN51 is considered a remarkable material in terms of productivity, the genotypes evaluated present good yields and interesting values of TPC and antioxidant activity, making them promising trees in local breeding programs.

Reducing deforestation through value chain interventions in countries emerging from conflict: The case of the Colombian cocoa sector

Sustainability commitments by private sector actors are emerging as interventions to help reduce global deforestation. Much attention is placed on the forest conservation impact of these interventions in areas where commodity production constitutes a main driver of deforestation. It is, however, less clearly understood what role they could play in areas where the production of commodities is not evidently leading to the loss of forest and how they could contribute to other objectives including sustainable rural development and peacebuilding. In this paper, we examine the potential of the cocoa sector in Colombia in achieving deforestation reduction and peacebuilding simultaneously, as aimed by the country's Cocoa, Forests and Peace Initiative. Results from correlations and spatially explicit analyses show that regardless of its widespread production across Colombia, in the past fifteen years cocoa has not been an important driver of deforestation. This suggests that efforts to end deforestation in the Colombian cocoa sector emerged following global trends, and not because of an evident link between cocoa production and deforestation. Furthermore, results from spatial clustering analyses highlight areas where different types of value chain interventions may be appropriate to parallel forest conservation and peacebuilding, while interviews with key actors in the cocoa sector provide clues as to how these interventions should be developed and implemented. Specifically, our results show that narratives around approaches to achieve zero deforestation from agricultural commodities should (1) be adjusted to local contexts, (2) incorporate location-specific development needs, (3) complement existing rural development efforts, (4) enhance collaboration among actors that operate both within and beyond the value chain, and (5) apply high-resolution data to assess deforestation-commodity relations and verify zero-deforestation commitments. These considerations are particularly relevant in contexts where commodity production is not evidently leading to deforestation, as in the case of cocoa production in Colombia.

Functional Biodiversity of Yeasts Isolated from Colombian Fermented and Dry Cocoa Beans.

Yeasts play an important role in the cocoa fermentation process. Although the most relevant function is the degradation of sugars and the production of ethanol, there is little understanding of the enzyme activities and attributes that allow them to survive even after drying. The present study explored the functional biodiversity of yeasts associated with Criollo Colombian cocoa fermented beans, able to survive after drying. Twelve species belonging to 10 genera of osmo-, acid-, thermo-, and desiccation-tolerant yeasts were isolated and identified from fermented and dry cocoa beans, with Pichia kudriavzevii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae standing out as the most frequent. For the first time, we reported the presence of Zygosaccharomyces bisporus in cocoa fermented beans. It was found that resistance to desiccation is related to the different degradation capacities of fermentation substrates, which suggests that associative relationships may exist between the different yeast species and their degradation products. Besides, the increased thermotolerance of some species was related to the presence of polyphenols in the medium, which might play a fundamental role in shaping the microbial community composition.

Aligning Strategic Objectives with Research and Development Activities in a Soft Commodity Sector: A Technological Plan for Colombian Cocoa Producers

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.

Relevance of local knowledge in decision-making and rural innovation: A methodological proposal for leveraging participation of Colombian cocoa producers

Abstract The local knowledge is constituted in the basis for decision-making and is an important part of the livelihood of rural families. Knowledge of cocoa crop management practices takes an essential role in the producers’ resilience capacity to face and adapt to changing environments in the productive, social and environmental level. It was carried out a study in the Macarena-Guaviare region, Colombia to evaluate the level of knowledge of cocoa producers, to analyze how this knowledge is affected by familiar, organizational or productive variables, and to determine the formation needs. To determine the level of knowledge, it was proposed a methodology called “Cacota test” which was applied and validated by cocoa producers (n = 189). It was evaluated the knowledge about the links (a. Crop design, b. Clones, c. Soil fertility, d. Pruning, e. Pests and diseases management, f. Good agricultural practices, g. Harvest, h. Post-harvest, i. Transformation, j. Marketing, k. Associativity, l. Institutionality). By means of a cluster analysis, producers were typified according to their level of knowledge and it was made a principal component analysis (PCA) to visualize the relation between the links and types of producers. It was elaborated a Cocoa Knowledge Index (CKI) and the links with greater and lesser strength regarding management level were identified. Also, the variables which influence the CKI were identified using a linear regression model. Positive correlations were found between the links: a. Clones and Soil fertility, b. Pruning and good agricultural practices, c. Pruning and pests and diseases management. The typologies were affected by the level of education, level of associativity and cultivated area. The local knowledge was not significantly related to age and gender. The proposed methodology made possible to determine the level of local knowledge of cocoa crop management practices. The institutions or people responsible for the formation of cocoa producers in the Macarena-Guaviare region should focus on crop design, clones, soil fertility, harvest, post-harvest and transformation links.

Regional Evaluation of Fungal Pathogen Incidence in Colombian Cocoa Crops

The production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) in Colombia has a significant environmental and socioeconomic importance as a promissory crop in the post-conflict process. The department of Norte de Santander has cocoa crops that are dramatically affected by fungal pathogens causing important losses during harvest and post-harvest. Therefore, the current study focused on the determination of the incidence of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi in cocoa crops, and the identification of primary phytopathogenic fungi found in biological material from different farms of the region. The study was conducted in four municipalities of the department, by sampling fruits infected with frosty pod rot (FPR) and black pod rot (BPR) that presented in situ incidence ranging from 0.37 to 21.58% and from 1.75 to 35.59%, respectively. The studied hybrid materials, together with clone TSH 65, were found to be the most susceptible, while the remaining clones were more tolerant, especially CCN 51, IMC 67, and ICS95. Fifteen strains were isolated using in vitro assays and then morphologically characterized both in solid media and by microscopy. Nine of them corresponded to the pathogen Moniliophthora roreri, and other six to Phytophthora palmivora. The isolated agents showed in vitro morphological variability, as well as the ability to adapt to different environments when growing in situ.

Selection of Judges to Train Sensorally in the Cacao Cataction in the Sena Center of Attention to the Santander Regional Agricultural Sector

The main objective of the present investigation was the linkage of the actors of the cocoa chain in the sensory evaluation of the cocoa liquor, through evaluation of the state of health, the alimentary habits, the availability, the disposition and the taste for the cocoa of the participants, followed by a series of preliminary sensory tests, participants who guessed these tests continued with the process and were tested for comparisons (Duo Trio, Pares and Triangular). The people who continued in the process received training and training in sensory evaluation of cocoa liquor. The Colombian cocoa is classified as fine and of aroma, which generates an added value for the commercialization of the grains. In the municipality we do not have personnel trained in the sensory evaluation of cocoa liquor, for this reason, the need arises to create a panel of judges trained in the Center for Agricultural Sector Assistance, this process was supported by the Colombian Technical Guides 165, 226, 245, 246 and the Colombian Technical Standard 4129, 3929. With the results of the process, the sequential analysis was applied, with a level of significance of 95% and an upper limit of selection of 70%. This allowed the selection of 59% of the candidates, allowing the formation of a group of personnel that will receive training and training in the sensory evaluation of cocoa liquors.

Análisis económico del sector cacaotero en Norte de Santander, Colombia y a nivel internacional

El objetivo principal es analizar económicamente el sector cacaotero en Norte de Santander, Colombia y a nivel internacional. El método es deductivo con estudio descriptivo y de campo. Se consultaron fuentes como instituciones del cacao en Colombia y a nivel internacional, así como fuentes documentales de organismos estatales y privados. En cuanto a resultados y conclusiones se tiene que en Norte de Santander, así como en Colombia, se requiere aumentar la producción de cacao y su tecnificación en el cultivo para aprovechar la alta demanda internacional de cacao y sus derivados, así como los buenos precios para ampliar su participación internacional, tomando la ventaja diferencial del cacao fino y de aroma. Lo anterior debe ir acompañado de la generación de valor agregado, competitividad, aprovechamiento de los tratados comerciales vigentes en Colombia y la proyección del cacao como cultivo clave del postconflicto colombiano.

Modelling and simulation of the Colombian cocoa production chain

Este articulo presenta los resultados de una investigacion cuyo objetivo fue el modelado y simulacion de la cadena productiva del cacao en Colombia. Esta investigacion estuvo financiada por la Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia. El objetivo de este articulo es presentar un modelo de simulacion de la cadena productiva del cacao en Colombia. Para el abordaje de esta investigacion, se tuvo en cuenta autores como Absalon Machado, quien ofrece un marco teorico para asumir el entendimiento de los sis-temas agroalimentarios, y se trabajo bajo una perspectiva sistemica. Se realizo un modelo usando la dinamica de sistemas, que se basa en la nocion de la realimentacion, los rezagos en el tiempo, la idea de acumulacion y la razon de cambio, propias del calculo diferencial e integral, haciendo un trabajo de campo en terminos de observacion directa de cultivos y plantas procesadoras del cacao internacionales. Se obtuvo un modelo matematico que recrea el comportamiento de la cadena productiva del cacao y se ajusta al comportamiento de la cadena para el horizonte temporal estudiado. El modelo puede ser usado para com-prender la dinamica propia de la cadena en conjunto sobre la base de los flujos de informacion y material en el sistema. Se concluye que el uso de modelos de dinamica de sistemas, que representan una cadena productiva, puede ser empleado para potenciar procesos de toma de decisiones a partir de la experimentacion simulada. Esto permite ganar en comprension de la dinamica propia de la cadena productiva. Ademas, se pone en evidencia que la percepcion in situ de los fenomenos a ser modelados favorece una mejor representacion de los mismos

Oferta productiva del cacao colombiano en el posconflicto. Estrategias para el aprovechamiento de oportunidades comerciales en el marco del acuerdo comercial Colombia-Unión Europea

The purpose of this article is to propose strategies to make the most of Colombian cocoa in the post conflict context, using the EU-Colombia Partnership Agreement as reference. This is a qualitative study conducting three types of analysis: an analysis of the context in the production and trade of cocoa on a global scale a comparative analysis intended to identify the relevant aspects in the projects developed by countries from the International Cocoa Organization and a diagnostic analysis of some of the issues of cocoa production and trade in Colombia, which allowed us to propose five basic strategies that are applicable in the post-conflict context. Colombia is not a large cocoa producer, but if it uses comparative advantages such as soil quality and applies competitive advantages such as multi-functionality and innovation, it has a chance to enter the European Union.

Carbon footprint of the colombian cocoa production

ABSTRACT Cocoa is an important commercial crop in the tropics; and estimating the carbon emissions in the producing-areas is a worthwhile effort. The main goal of the current paper was to evaluate the carbon footprint (CF) per kilogram of Colombian cocoa bean produced under conventional and agroforestry managements, following the methods proposed by PAS 2050. In this research, we compared our results to other worldwide researches, showing an overview of the current limitations and challenges involving the CF researches. Our results showed that all calculated environmental burdens were lower for the conventional management. In the agroforestry practice, composting of cocoa pod husks contributed with approximately 34.00E+00 g methane and 2.55E+00 g nitrous oxide emissions per kilogram of cocoa grain produced. Therefore, such practice could reduce CF by 6.00E+00 kg CO2 Eq kg-1, which is certainly a significant amount. These cocoa residues left on the ground have a strong impact on CF of both studied managements due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter, which represents more than 85% of emissions. We concluded that both evaluated production processes can emit environmental burdens at the same magnitude. Definitely, there is a widespread need to improve cocoa production system by changing old and less productive plants to the so called clones to ensure cocoa yield and quality worldwide.

Water footprint assessment of the Colombian cocoa production

ABSTRACTThe main objective of the present research was to calculate the water footprint of the Colombian cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production. The evaluation of crop water requirement and irrigation requirement were based on climate, soil and crop conditions in the country. The water requirement estimation was based on data from six municipalities selected for their representativeness of the highest yield, productivity and commercial dynamics of the country. The results show that the Water footprint reached 17,100 m3 t-1. At the province level, the highest record for this parameter was observed in Tolima, with 23,239 m3t-1, while Huila registered the lowest level, with 13,475 m3t-1. Water use per crop unit can be influenced not only by agro-meteorological conditions, but also by the level of production. Therefore, a region with a low water footprint value for a specific crop usually has a favorable climatic condition. Crop evapotranspiration was found to be relatively low, and the highest yields were obtained in association with more productive cropping levels. Given the complexity of a hydrological phenomenon like crop evapotranspiration, the magnitude of these differences may be considered to be small.

Efecto del Tostado Sobre los Metabolitos Secundarios y la Actividad Antioxidante de Clones de Cacao Colombiano

El tostado es una de las operaciones tecnológicas más importantes en el procesamiento de los granos de cacao; este proceso conduce a la formación de los productos de la reacción de Maillard (RM) los cuales son cruciales para el desarrollo de la calidad organoléptica de los granos de cacao y sus productos asociados. En el presente estudio se evaluó el efecto del tostado sobre el contenido de metabolitos secundarios y la actividad antioxidante en cinco clones de cacao cultivados en Colombia. En los extractos metanólicos de los diferentes clones de cacao se determinó el contenido de fenoles totales, taninos condensados, antocianinas totales, catequina y epicatequina, teobromina y cafeína. Además, se determinó la actividad antioxidante por medio de la actividad atrapadora del radical ABTS•+, el método ORAC y la capacidad atrapadora de radicales superóxido. En conclusión, el efecto del tostado en los clones de cacao no tuvo un comportamiento uniforme sobre los cambios en los contenidos de los diversos metabolitos secundarios y la actividad antioxidante.