Title: Local innovations in the davao cacao industry: the role of intermediaries in improving farmer livelihoods
Author: Gabrielle Dominique Centena
Year: 2025
Keywords: cacao, Philippines, Davao, local innovation, inclusive development,, traceability
Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development ,Environmental Politics and Policy
Advisor(s): Carl Nigel Middleton
The full thesis available here.
Abstract: Despite having the ideal landscape and climate for cacao production, the Philippines still lags in output generation. Globally, the country is the 24th largest producer of cacao beans, with 78% of its national cacao output coming from the Davao region. The research primarily concentrates on examining local innovations in the Davao cacao industry, the processes on how they’re produced, and the innovation ecosystem composed of actors such as farmers, government agencies, research institutions, private industry associations, and external organizations that enable them. Grounded in political economy, the research draws on the theoretical frameworks of local innovation and inclusive development. A total of sixteen interviews across all the actors was conducted in the Davao region, mainly seeking to examine how local innovation arises within the industry and how it services their objective of sustainable outcomes. The research found that local innovations in the Davao cacao industry are perceived to contribute to inclusive development when it is initiated based on grounded realities and that there must be a collaborative ecosystem and system-level support to ensure the inclusion of smallholders. The research also stresses the role of collective action in increasing smallholder inclusion. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the cacao industry in the country and offer valuable insights for other agricultural commodity chains