Vol. 5 No. . Especial (2025): Rhombus
ARTICLE

Cacao for Peace and Regional Programme – Procapaz: A Strategy Contributing to the Strengthening of Community Development

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  • Lady Johanna Peñaloza Farfan
Lady Johanna Peñaloza Farfan
Universidad de Ibagué
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63058/rhombus.v5iEspecial.344

Published 2025-10-28

Keywords

  • Cacao ,
  • Social Innovation ,
  • Sustainable Production ,
  • Knowledge Transfer ,
  • Generational Bridging ,
  • Bioeconomy
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Peñaloza Farfan, L. J. (2025). Cacao for Peace and Regional Programme – Procapaz: A Strategy Contributing to the Strengthening of Community Development. Rhombus, 5(. Especial), 69p – 90p. https://doi.org/10.63058/rhombus.v5iEspecial.344

Copyright (c) 2025 Rhombus

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Abstract

The Cacao for Peace and Region Programme - PROCAPAZ advances a participatory strategy to strengthen the cacao value chain in Rovira (Tolima) by integrating social innovation with Industrial Engineering tools. A mixed-methods action-research design was used, beginning with a participatory assessment (SWOT analysis, household and student surveys, producer interviews, and community
workshops), moving into the co-design and implementation of strategies (a standardized production line spanning pre-cultivation through processing, a Good Agricultural Practices, GAP Manual, and a generational-bridging plan supported by mentoring and learning logbooks), and culminating in transfer, validation, and systematization activities (a Cocoa Fair and an Experience Day, the use of the logbook as an evidence repository, and the design/approval of a bioeconomy elective course to be offered in 2026). Key results include the standardized line with defined critical control points, context-specific GAP guidelines, and a stakeholder architecture for collaborative governance. A baseline was also consolidated, productivity near 600 kg/ha and fermentation yield around 70%, that guides the pathway toward traceability, certification, and access to differentiated markets. In parallel, the project strengthened the territory’s cacao identity, increased youth participation, and reinforced technical and organizational capacities. Overall, the articulation of university-community-productive sector, coupled with sociopedagogical devices and technical standardization, enables verifiable improvements in
performance and social cohesion and lays the groundwork for regional scaling.

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