Technology Roadmapping Architecture Based on Knowledge Management: Case Study for Improved Indigenous Coffee Production from Guerrero, Mexico

Abstract

Having demonstrated its importance for economic and human developments, technological change is considered one of the biggest supports worldwide. Today, with the population increase, the inclusion of technology is considered the most appropriate way to reduce the impact of this challenge. Considering 171 indigenous coffee producers from Paraje Montero and Tierra Colorada from Guerrero, Mexico, the present study proposes technological routes for the indigenous coffee production chain and the inclusion of emerging technologies such as sensors, actuators, and processing devices basing on the requirements of the chain. During face-to-face sessions, questionaries, field visits, and literature review for knowledge management, the results expose the need of effective actions against diseases and the reduction of climate change, lack of infrastructure, old plantations, and lack of commercialization channels; for these and considering the requirement of greenhouse technology by indigenous coffee producers and following the labor value driver of the digital compass, the necessity of several kinds of sensors, technologies, and methodologies has been identified with high possibilities to be implemented by similar producers analyzed in this manuscript to help in solving the problems identified in this work. The combination of remote sensing, signal processing, and spectroscopy could be employed to explore mineralogical features of soil and help problems with fertilization; sensor modules to collect temperature, humidity, and light intensity data are a priority for greenhouse monitoring; electrochemical sensors and optical technologies could be of great help to detect the presence of diseases in coffee plants; and the installation of a greenhouse solar dryer is necessary to reduce the time of the sun drying process and protect the coffee cherry. These emerging technologies will help to improve the production of coffee. The study contributes to identify a technology roadmap proposing technological implements according to indigenous coffee production chain requirements and serves as support for future studies in indigenous regions.

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

“…The actors involved in the coffee supply chain start with government institutions or private providers; as a second actor there is the organization and in the last, the intermediaries, while technological necessities detected in coffee supply chain were in: (1) the provision of varieties resistant to pests; (2) the chemical fertilizer; (3) the manual machines for pulp removal and (4) the spaces used for fermentation, washing and drying-those are necessities required by producers and organizations in this region and, at least in this zone, the data suggest that efforts focused on technology development for agriculture need to be related, principally, to address these necessities (Figure 5). The process, actors and technology of the local coffee supply chain process are in line with those reported by [67], up to the harvesting stage, and after the organization receives the coffee, the process is similar to the one reported by [98], in which there was registered coffee processing, developed by the Union of indigenous communities in the isthmus region; and with the study of [80] in which farmers in Vietnam sell their coffee production to coffee-processing factories. The alienations with these works mean that the reported results, related to strategies for improving coffee production, have high probabilities of being successfully employed by others regions with a similar coffee supply chain; however, validations studies need to be accomplished.…”

“…The study of [66] presents a roadmap framework which is environmentally friendly and based on knowledge-action topic to understand knowledge movement; the results expose the necessity to include all actors involved in the process, as well as the development of policy and more interaction between knowledge producers and potential users. Another study [67] exposes a roadmap based on knowledge management, through the installation of green-house supported by the technological advances to promote the increase of coffee productivity in Mexico, but without considering sustainability.…”

“…The results of the technology roadmapping process and of socio-productive variables such as gender, cultivated area, additional crops and production level were tabulated, registered and ordered according to frequency of appearance, from the least selected registered with the number one to the registered with the highest number, following [87] and the scheme of [88], considering the success of the actions to be implemented (solutions) for linking the value driver (s) of digital compass and socio-productive information for technological adoption, age and family member variables were grouped in intervals following the line related with the characteristics of households reported in Mexico, of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI acronym in Spanish) used in the census 2015 [89], while the sale price was based on the lowest cost reported by [67]. The analysis of frequency of appearance was done through NVIVO v11 ® software, while the normality and correlation of variables were accomplished using IBM ® SPSS ® statistics v21, through Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Spearman's rho tests, respectively.…”

“…The municipalities of Angel Albino Corzo, The Jaltenango de la Paz (belongs to Angel Albino Corzo) and La Concordia have an altitude of 644, 634 and 540 m.a.s.l, respectively, and have a population of 26,628, 10,427 and 7641 respectively [90,91] (Figure 3). Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 27 the actions to be implemented (solutions) for linking the value driver (s) of digital compass and socioproductive information for technological adoption, age and family member variables were grouped in intervals following the line related with the characteristics of households reported in Mexico, of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI acronym in Spanish) used in the census 2015 [89], while the sale price was based on the lowest cost reported by [67]. The analysis of frequency of appearance was done through NVIVO v11 ® software, while the normality and correlation of variables were accomplished using IBM ® SPSS ® statistics v21, through Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Spearman's rho tests, respectively.…”

Agriculture 4.0 and Smart Sensors. The Scientific Evolution of Digital Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities

“…Government investments, export volume, agricultural and consumer culture are also factors that directly impact the way food is grown, and the efforts and investments dedicated to production. Developed and emerging countries have different types of government investment for agricultural production and some are developing projects aimed at the digital transformation of agriculture in countries like China [158], Brazil [159], Mexico [160], Thailand [161,162] and others.…”