Paper short abstract:

This research prioritised native plants as a source of natural ingredients for Colombia's bioeconomy and developed a framework for creating sustainable value chains and pathways to improve livelihoods. We applied this framework to the fruit of the naidí palm, assessing challenges and opportunities.

Paper long abstract:

Colombia is the second most biodiverse country globally, potentially having a comparative advantage over less biodiverse countries to shift to a more sustainable, biobased economy. However, Colombia accounts for only 0.27% of natural ingredients exports in Latin America; hence its potential is still unlocked. This research aimed to identify priority native plant species as a source of natural ingredients for Colombia and develop a framework for creating sustainable value chains and pathways to improve local livelihoods as part of the Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project.

A multi-criteria matrix was built by compiling biological, ecological, and social-economic information for 450 useful plant species. Of these, 21 plant species were prioritised. As a case study, we applied a value-chain analysis to the fruit of the naidí palm (Euterpe oleracea) growing along the Pacific Coast of Colombia. We conducted semi-structured interviews involving community-based organisations, private companies, NGOs, international organisations, and universities, to assess the full range of activities and relationships involved in its value creation.

We found that relations of trust between small-scale producers, a low distribution of profits among local collectors, limited profitability supported by external subsidies, and low regional and national demand, characterise its value chain. This could be improved in the short and medium-term by increasing the capacity of cold chains and storage centres, fostering economic incentives for implementing agroforestry systems, developing strategies for promoting traditional diets by using natural ingredients, and improving technology and business capabilities to enhance commercialisation.