Key indicators of the Cuban sugar agro-industrial value chain: content analysis by processes and dimensions of performance and sustainability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026642Keywords:
Agricultural economics, Agricultural statistics, Food industry, Sustainable developmentAbstract
Introduction: The sugar agroindustry has historically been a main pillar of the Cuban economy, and its shift toward a sustainable model required indicator systems capable of integrating the productive, economic, social, environmental, and technological aspects of the value chain. The goal was to characterize the key indicator system of the Cuban sugar agroindustrial value chain through a content analysis by key process and by performance and sustainability dimensions. Methodology: A mixed approach was applied, of a descriptive-analytical type, through documentary and content analysis of the institutional indicator matrix, with a coding scheme covering seven dimensions of performance and sustainability. Results: The results showed 124 indicator relationships, mostly concentrated in the production and capacity dimensions (23.4%), physical resources and inputs (19.4%), compared to a low representation in the economic-financial dimension (8.1%) and innovation and technology (3.2%), the latter without explicit quantitative indicators in support processes. Comparison with the literature showed a contrast: a greater emphasis on environmental aspects and digitalization in international literature. Conclusions: It was concluded that the indicator system needs a rebalance towards environmental sustainability and innovation to align with recent frameworks for measuring the performance of agro-industrial value chains.
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