The Cocoa for Peace Project, implemented by Ayuda en Acción and funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation – AECID, aims to revitalize the cocoa value chain in the departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca. This project has as its central axis the strengthening of the productive and commercial capacities of local cocoa producers, returning to the region the leading role it occupied within the cocoa industry.
In the department of Cauca, significant efforts have been concentrated on improving the productive and commercial capacity of cocoa producers. These efforts seek not only to optimize cocoa production, but also to return the region to its relevance in the Colombian cocoa panorama. The project places particular emphasis on improving agroforestry practices and strengthening local producer organizations to promote sustainable and competitive growth.
The Cocoa Corridor: A link for the development of Cauca
One of the main objectives of the project is to consolidate a cocoa corridor that connects the producing areas of the departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca. This corridor is designed to create an efficient and competitive system in the processes of production, transformation and commercialization of cocoa in the municipalities of Caloto, Guachené, Villarrica and Padilla, through specialized technical assistance, the implementation of agroforestry techniques to improve the productivity and quality of cocoa grown in these areas.
The strengthening of 400 producers is one of the key milestones of the project, of which 215 are located in Cauca, where the greatest intervention effort is concentrated. Within the commitments with local producers, there are training and technical assistance in the production chain, from primary production to insertion in specialized markets. This support will be vital to increase the competitiveness of producers in national and international markets, which opens new marketing opportunities.
