Context of the story

Cocoa producers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries share many of the problems that need to be addressed, depending on the particularities and dynamics of the territories. In several countries of the region, cocoa cultivation has received a strong boost in recent years through productive modernization processes and the generation of new technologies. However, the region needs to better coordinate these efforts and investments through strategic alliances between the main managers of innovation, through a platform or network. The establishment of a platform will make it possible to shorten technological development times by adding capabilities and complementing efforts.

Regional Platform

The implemented initiative

The objective of this seed fund was to create a multi-agency cocoa platform that strengthens LAC's position as a net producer and exporter of quality cocoa. The platform will promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences and facilitate the development of a wide-ranging regional project, where public-private, national, regional and international institutions participate, to comprehensively address technological, organizational and institutional issues of the value chain cocoa. This platform will be identified as "Cacao 2030-2050".

Regional Proposal for R+ D i in cocoa

The technological solution

For the proper functioning of this platform, it was necessary to carry out a diagnosis of the realities of the producers and the historical efforts of countries and their institutions to reduce technological gaps for a sustainable intensification of production. Subsequently, a consensual regional impact project was developed focused on solving emerging crop problems.

Cocoa constitutes an alternative to face the effects of climate change and is currently key to carry out peace processes in certain regions of Latin America.
José Luis Zambrano Mendoza

Results

- A baseline diagnosis on the cocoa value chain in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- A consensual R+D+i project

Participating Organizations

Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA) - Colombia
Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) - Costa Rica
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) - Colombia
Escuela Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) - Ecuador
FCIA - Bélgica
Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales  (IDIAF) - República Dominicana
Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria  (INIA) - Perú
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP) - Ecuador
Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Costa Rica

Main donors

FONTAGRO
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