Estrategias para mejorar la competitividad del cacao producido en Puerto Rico Meta en los mercados nacionales e internacionales

Abstract

This study analyzes the competitiveness of cocoa cultivation in the municipality of Puerto Rico, Meta, within the context of the national dynamics of the Colombian cocoa sector. This crop represents a fundamental axis for productive diversification and regional economic development and is also a sustainable alternative to traditional agricultural models. In the department of Meta, more than 5,350 cultivated hectares were consolidated, of which 515 correspond to Puerto Rico, where an estimated 270 tons per year are generated, generating approximately 700 direct and indirect jobs. The objective of the study was to identify strategies that strengthen the competitiveness of cocoa in the municipality, articulating environmental sustainability, productive innovation and organizational strengthening. It is evident that 16% of the municipal value added comes from agriculture, and that cocoa contributes to the mitigation of climate change by capturing 4.3 tons of carbon per hectare, in addition to favoring financial inclusion and the reduction of rural poverty, which affects 77% of the population. For this reason, it is concluded that the competitiveness of cocoa in Puerto Rico depends on the integration between infrastructure, international certifications, sustainability and associativity, factors that determine its insertion in specialized markets and its contribution to the sustainable rural development of Meta.