Discrete-Event Simulation of the Cocoa Value Chain in Puerto Asís, Colombia: Comparative Effects of Technification and Workforce Scaling
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26439/ing.ind2026.n50.8548Keywords:
simulation, FlexSim, cocoa value chain, sustainable rural developmentAbstract
This study presents a detailed case analysis of the cocoa value chain in Puerto Asís, Colombia, using discrete-event simulation to evaluate the impacts of technification and workforce scaling on post-harvest productivity. We calibrated a baseline model that represents traditional practices using field data, achieving validation with a relative error below 5 %. We assessed four intervention scenarios through comparative performance analysis and one-way ANOVA (p < 0,05). The baseline model required 14,3 days to complete the post-harvest cycle, incurring losses of 22 %. The most efficient configuration, which integrated solar drying infrastructure and optimized workforce allocation (C1), reduced processing time to 8,2 days (43 % reduction) and decreased losses to 10 %, while enhancing production stability. The results indicate that moderate labor optimization, when combined with technological advancements, yields significantly greater improvements in processing time, loss reduction, and production stability compared to isolated labor expansion under identical operational conditions. Furthermore, the simulation framework developed in this study serves as a replicable decision-support tool for rural cocoa systems operating under structural constraints.
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