Roadmapping as a Driver for Knowledge Creation: A Proposal for Improving Sustainable Practices in the Coffee Supply Chain from Chiapas, Mexico, Using Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Technologies are essential for productive sectors to increase competitiveness and improve sustainable development. However, the technology benefits present a great delay in adoption in agricultural sectors, due to discrepancies between scientific research and local needs. This article presents a study for improving sustainability practices in the coffee supply chain, using emerging technologies, of two localities in the Frailesca region from Chiapas, Mexico, based on the current situation, expectations and actions expressed by 165 coffee producers and 12 representatives of two coffee producers’ organizations. Based on Mentzer theoretical support, the technology roadmaps, knowledge management and digital compass were used to draw coffee supply chain processes to identify concrete actions and explore technologies. The results show that the technological route must be focused on renewing and improving coffee quality, getting quality certifications and access to specialized markets. Digital quality management and advanced statistical process control seem to be the appropriate emerging technologies for enhancing the acquisition of resistant varieties, proper pest management, improvement in the collection of coffee beans, the right time and way to plant a coffee plant, soil analysis and for the management of weeds and water conservation and harvesting as sustainable practices in this region. In addition, statistical correlation showed that digital technologies can be better adopted, on average, by producers with 4–6 family members, aged between 40–44 years and without additional crops. The findings propose sustainable practices linked with emerging technologies, based on a technology roadmap and knowledge management methodologies for this region.

Innovation of Women Farmers: A Technological Proposal for Mezcalilleras’ Sustainability in Mexico, Based on Knowledge Management

“…These were used for the screening imbalances (gaps) as problems, failures, or barriers (needs), comparing the frequencies of the highest level of each question versus balance level, according to the studies [108,110,[119][120][121] used in the Mexican context. Regarding technological routes, equipment expectations were collected in an open question and were registered and ordered according to their frequency, following the recommendations of [109,111], applied in Mexico.…”

“…The age, years producing, sale price as socio-demographic information, besides context-place of mezcalilleras, following the theory of [105,127], were included to evaluate the statistical correlation and practical development of technologies' proposal. These variables were already used in the coffee agriculture chain by [109,111].…”

“…However, knowledge management methodology, particularly Nonaka's model, involving commitments, beliefs, experiences, and knowledge, combined with the flexibility and interaction in the identification of expectations of technological routes of [104], is emerging as two complementary methodologies, since one has been the basis for the development and adaptation for traditional knowledge over time [56,105], as well as being the most used and cited [106,107]. The other is applied in detecting technologies based on perspectives, and, in addition to that, both have already been used in the context of Mexico [108][109][110][111].…”

Enhancing Coffee Supply Chain towards Sustainable Growth with Big Data and Modern Agricultural Technologies

“…It was realized that they may be solved largely by adopting big data and smart technology in coffee farmer database management. Big data can potentially increase the coffee supply chain's effectiveness in the long run [36][37][38][39][40]. Several technologies and related tools were discovered in solving coffee operations and production problems.…”

Triple Layer Business Model Canvas Design of Arabica Coffee Agroindustry Supply Chain in Bandung Regency

“…Currently, many conventional farmers are vulnerable to changes in production systems that cause damage to natural resources, especially in the Bandung Regency area. Coffee supply chains present problems such as low non-economic productivity and profitability, weak technology transfer, and limited value addition; these are the disadvantages associated with the unsustainable coffee sector (Contreras-medina, Contreras-medina, Pardo-nuñez, Olvera-vargas, & Rodriguez-peralta, 2020). This condition must be corrected immediately by adopting technology.…”