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Item type:Publication, Structured equations to assess the socioeconomic and business factors influencing the financial sustainability of traditional Amazonian Chakra in the Ecuadorian Amazon(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-03-01)This study focuses on investigating the dimensions of sustainability and their influence on financial-economic sustainability (FES) in traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS) using the case of the Amazonian Chakra. The main objectives were to analyze the dimensions of sustainability and to establish the causal relationships between these dimensions and the FES. To carry out this research, 330 households in Napo Province that use the Amazonian Chakra system to grow cocoa were selected in order to analyze the relationship between the different dimensions of sustainability and FES in this unique context. The results of the study show that practices related to food security (FS) and business factors (BF) have a positive and significant impact on the FES of cocoa-producing households in the Amazonian Chakra system. These findings support the importance of ensuring the availability and quality of food and promoting responsible business practices in these environments. In contrast, the dimensions of environmental resilience (ER) and biodiversity conservation (BC) showed a negative impact on FES, highlighting an economic-financial imbalance in relation to conservation and environmental resilience actions in the Amazonian Chakra. This study contributes to the knowledge needed to promote agricultural practices that include an equal focus on FES, biodiversity conservation, and environmental resilience practices in a globally significant area, providing valuable information for the design of sustainable agricultural policies and practices in the Amazonian Chakra. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Food Technology Forecasting: A Bibliometric Update in Functional Chocolates(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-09-01)Technology forecasting (TF) based on bibliometric tools allows knowing the technological trends of developed topics based on experience and current knowledge, thus anticipating future changes. To reduce hunger and improve nutrition, the food-based topic is of central concern, especially functional food. Among these, various studies on chocolates have been performed. On a global scale, these products are at the level of patents, with China leading it, vastly outperforming the cocoa-producing countries. Though no known functional chocolates are sold under that specific name, chocolates on the market serve as “carriers” of bioactive compounds. Unfortunately, they cannot be attributed to health properties since these properties have to be evaluated with in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Launching functional chocolate on the market is possible; however, it would be a long-term process involving previous stages such as studying its ingredients' bioactive properties, laboratory-level product development, functional properties, and quality and acceptance parameters. For research purposes, it is possible to speak of functional chocolates, potentially functional chocolates, or chocolates enriched with bioactive compounds since the development of research does not necessarily involve launching the product on the market. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Life cycle assessment of organic chocolate production in Peru(Elsevier BV, 2025-12-01)Limited studies have been conducted in Latin America related to the environmental profile of cocoa and chocolate production using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The current study conducts a cradle-to-gate LCA of the production of organic chocolate products in Peru, considering cocoa cultivation practices by a group of 21 female producers located in central Peru in the year 2022. Data were collected on-site at cultivation sites and processing plant using questionnaires with the technical staff. Beyond fossil and biogenic emissions linked to cultivation, transport of dried cocoa, and manufacturing activities at the chocolate producing plant, carbon capture on fields by cocoa and shading trees was modeled and included in the carbon balance. A total of 8 impact categories were selected, considering different environmental compartments. Results for global warming using the main scenario show a range of values from 4.33 kg CO 2 eq per kilogram of final chocolate product to 4.88 kg CO 2 eq. Most impacts are derived from the production of dry cocoa beans and, to a lesser extent, upstream sugarcane production. However, important differences were evident when the individual cocoa producers were analyzed, with agroforestry systems presenting lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than cocoa monocrops. Regarding water scarcity, the activities at the chocolate processing plant were found to contribute more than water use at the cocoa cultivation sites. For other impact categories, toxicity emissions at the cultivation site were relatively low given the organic characteristics of the fields, which do not use conventional pesticides. The post-harvest management of the cocoa pods (i.e., composting) is a critical source of GHG emissions. Hence, adequate composting conditions maintain methane emissions low, but direct return of the pods to the field can generate a substantial increase in GHG emissions. Carbon sequestration from above ground biomass, mainly from shading and cocoa trees, appears to mitigate an important fraction of these emissions if shading is homogeneous and sufficiently dense across the fields. • A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted on the production of organic chocolate in Peru. • A group of 21 producers was sampled for organic cocoa practices in central Peru. • A full characterization of the biogenic carbon cycle in cultivation sites was modeled. • Global warming results show better results for agroforestry systems and cocoa pod husk composting practices. • Manufacturing stage impacts are dominated by water use, cooling agents and upstream sugar production.2 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Dynamic profile of metabolites and volatile compounds in post-harvest cocoa beans until chocolate production(Springer Science+Business Media, 2026-03-01)Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a major source of bioactive compounds, both volatile and non-volatile, that determine the characteristic aroma and flavor of chocolate. This review examines how post-harvest and industrial stages influence the transformation and formation of these compounds, considering differences among varieties such as Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, and Nacional. Key compounds are identified, including pyrazines, esters, aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, and terpenes, and their association with floral, fruity, roasted, and bitter aromatic notes. The review also addresses the use of strategies such as controlled fermentation with starter cultures to enhance the sensory profile of cocoa. However, important gaps remain regarding the identification of volatile compounds that are specific to each processing stage, and a complete understanding of the dynamic evolution of volatile and non-volatile metabolites during chocolate production is still lacking. Therefore, further research is required to elucidate how post-harvest practices, technological processes, and cocoa genetics influence the sensory quality of the beans and the final product.1