Case: Upgrading to Organic Cacao Cultivation in Peru
Small producers, members of a large, established coffee and cocoa cooperative in Tingo María, Perú, upgraded to certified organic production of cocoa. Through this organization producers began exporting organic cocoa to Europe, Japan and the United States. In addition, the cooperative pilots an upgrading initiative into the production of organic chocolate for export. Producers benefitted both from organic price premiums as well as increased annual dividends from the cooperative derived from organic chocolate sales. This case study assesses the project “Upgrading to Organic Cocoa Cultivation in Peru”, one of more than 40 projects implemented in the Latin American and Caribbean Region, within MIF’s “Linking Small Producers to High Value Agriculture Markets” thematic work area. These projects provide technical assistance, technological solutions, and access to finance to organized farmer groups (cooperatives, social enterprises and others) whose products have proven market demand in a variety of sectors and industries such as fisheries, horticulture, dairy, coffee, cocoa, and stevia, to name a few. The CGGC – Duke University researchers assessed five of these projects using a four-pillar framework designed to identify key areas that improve sustainable inclusion to value chains. Each case study in the series synthesizes common challenges and best practices implemented by MIF’s partner agencies, while providing valuable insights for ensuring successful outcomes and longterm impacts in inclusive value chain projects.
