La red de valor de la yuca y su potencial en la bioeconomía de Colombia

The document examines the cassava value network in Colombia, highlighting its current use in food and industrial sectors and its potential for bioplastics and animal feed. It identifies low productivity, limited technology transfer, and financial barriers for smallholders as key challenges. The paper suggests transitioning toward biorefineries and inclusive supply chains to enhance Colombia's bioeconomy.

• Colombia is the third largest producer of cassava in Latin America, producing 2.8 million tons in 2019 across 259,931 hectares, though its average yield of 11.34 ton/ha is significantly lower than leaders like Thailand (22 ton/ha), Paraguay (18 ton/ha), and Brazil (14 ton/ha).
• The Colombian cassava sector is dominated by small-scale production (85% of farms are under 10 hectares), with 94.4% of production used for direct human consumption and only 5.6% destined for industrial use.
• Colombia faces a deficit in industrial cassava starch, importing 13.4 thousand tons (USD 6.5 million) from Paraguay in 2019, primarily to address shortages occurring in the second half of each year.
• The value network is divided into regional hubs: Cauca focuses on 'sour starch' (almidón agrio) for traditional breads; the Atlantic Coast produces both fresh and industrial cassava; Orinoquía is the primary supplier of fresh cassava to Bogotá with the highest yields; and the Amazon uses traditional 'chagras' for diverse human consumption and artisanal products like tucupí.
• Financial access for small producers is limited by lack of land ownership, leading to a reliance on microfinance institutions over state banks; however, 'advance contracts' (contratos anticipados) are increasingly used as credit guarantees.
• There is significant untapped potential for cassava in the animal feed industry to replace imported corn, soy, and sorghum, as well as in the bioplastics market, supported by research and patents from the University of Cauca.
• Environmental and sustainability challenges include the uncontrolled use of herbicides, soil erosion on slopes, and the discharge of cyanide-rich wastewater from sour starch mills, with only about 10 of 60 mills in Cauca possessing wastewater treatment plants (PTAR).
• Technological transfer is inefficient despite the presence of global research leaders like CIAT and Agrosavia; the use of improved, non-toxic varieties by farmers remains insufficient.
• The document proposes a transition toward 'biorefineries' to maximize biomass use, including residues, though previous attempts at cassava-based bioethanol in Colombia have failed.
• Public procurement, specifically School Feeding Programs (PAE), represents a market opportunity to replace imported wheat flour with locally produced cassava flour.

APA

Canales, N., & Trujilo, M. (2021). La red de valor de la yuca y su potencial en la bioeconomía de Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/workingpaperyucabioeconomia-canalestrujillo-mayo21.pdf

Chicago

Canales, Nella, and Mónica Trujilo. La red de valor de la yuca y su potencial en la bioeconomía de Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/workingpaperyucabioeconomia-canalestrujillo-mayo21.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Canales |first1=Nella |last2=Trujilo |first2=Mónica |title=La red de valor de la yuca y su potencial en la bioeconomía de Colombia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/workingpaperyucabioeconomia-canalestrujillo-mayo21.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canales2021red, author = {Canales, Nella and Trujilo, Mónica}, title = {{La red de valor de la yuca y su potencial en la bioeconomía de Colombia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/workingpaperyucabioeconomia-canalestrujillo-mayo21.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }