Diversification in international cacao markets: opportunities and challenges for smallholder cacao enterprises in Central America

Abstract

The report presents a review of international cacao markets with the objectives of: 1) Identifying the salient trends in the consumption and production of conventional and specialty cacao. 2) Assessing the limitation and opportunities for generating increased value adding by SCEs. 3) Identifying key elements of a strategy for promoting SCE in Central America in international specialty cacao markets.Section 2 summarize the general tendencies in cacao markets in major consuming and producing countries. Section 3 focus on the different actors along the cacao supply chains and their interrelations. Sections 4 and 5 summarize opportunities for generating increased value adding by SCE and key elements of a strategy for generating increased value adding by SCEs in Central America, respectively.