Coffee, Cocoa, and Soccer: The Other Face of Origin.

In this era, not only are coffee and cocoa considered commodities, but soccer certainly falls into that category as well. While some economists may disagree with the comparison, the current football climate suggests otherwise. These three products share a history, as both the crops and the sport are closely linked to Africa and Latin America. Over the last 10 years, the leading coffee producers have been Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia, while the top cocoa producers have been Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Cameroon.

In the case of soccer, although six of the eight teams qualified for the semifinals were from Europe, one from Latin America, and one from Africa, between 70% and 90% of those European teams consist of players with African roots. These comparisons are intended to provoke reflection on the development models currently applied in many countries that produce high-value raw materials. For decades, there has been an expressed desire to stop being exporters of raw materials without added value; however, the reality reflected in these three everyday examples shows that we remain trapped in an inequitable commercial model for the places of origin.

One must ask when the day will come when Ivory Coast exports finished chocolate to the world instead of just cocoa beans, or when Vietnam will place processed coffee in international markets rather than just bags of unprocessed beans. Additionally, there is the question of when African soccer stars will be able to display that same sporting magic in their own countries, thereby strengthening their local leagues and communities.

It is evident that development models must change, as the countries that add value and leverage the potential of their products are the ones that reap the greatest benefits. The transformation of raw materials should be the cornerstone of a commercial strategy. To reach that goal, it is necessary to ciment the foundations through quality education, childhood nutrition, public health, discipline, technology, values, long-term territorial planning, tax reforms, respect for private property, social investment to improve quality of life, and truly equitable trade agreements. Finally, the simplest yet most difficult task is to do things well. Hopefully, the cup stays in America. This article was authored by Ozman Altamirano, a member of DEVEXNET.