Questions on Cardinal Foods

Cardinal Foods
Author
Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Due Date
Executive Summary
Dulce, Calidad, and National are the major sources of Cocoa. Coca is a delicate crop and susceptible to diseases and infestations of insects in cases of changes in weather conditions. Certain tropical climate with cool temperatures between 15 to 20 centigrade is favorable for the cultivation and growth of this plant. On the other hand, consumers are increasingly becoming conscious of consuming sustainable ingredients. Good quality chocolate has a particle size of 25. Appropriate farming practices, post-harvest processes, and supply chain efficiencies play a significant role in delivering the desired particle size. Hence cocoa supplies are vetted based on sustainable farming practices, corruption and bribery, use of child labour, and reducing farmer poverty.
Case study questions
Cardinal is a multinational agribusiness with operations in 55 countries. One of its divisions specializes in the production of chocolate, a significant ingredient in the production of food, bakery, confectionery, and dairy goods. Cardinal's basic beliefs include being responsible global citizens, hence the company has invested extensively in the cocoa procurement and supply chain. Many customers are growing increasingly interested in sustainable ingredients and good quality chocolate. The company sources cocoa from three primary regions: Calidad, Nacional, and Dulce. Thus, this study will cover the procurement and farming practices in these regions.
The primary factors that determine the size of the chocolate flavour particles and the variation in those sizes are the practices that are implemented, such as using the appropriate fertilizer at the appropriate time, removing pests, adjusting spacing, and post-harvest practices such as picking, transporting, and processing the pods. So, farmers will be judged on how well they meet the desired particle size based on the above qualities.
According to Parmar (2022), Dulce suppliers were ranked to be the poorest in terms of their ability to deliver the desired particle size for cocoa. Cocoa from the region is cultivated using unsustainable practices such as leaving unused chemicals near river sources that eventually reach the cocoa plantations (Spongberg, 1998). As a result, their ability to deliver the desired particle size is limited. In addition, the post-harvest practices are poor, and there is less equipment. Parmar‘s assessment ranked them as the worst in using child labour. Moreover, farmers are paid poorly, thus limiting their ability to perpetuate better farming practices such as the application of fertilizers and modernization of processing equipment.
Parmar (2022) argues that Nacional prides itself on better integration into the global supply chain. The region as a whole has better measures to avoid chemical spills into the environment. Nacional makes an effort to minimi...