Ecuador · Field research
Matapalo Research
Research & Analytics · Social Impact
The Challenge
How do the conditions under which tagua is harvested shape who benefits from its global trade?
My Role
I conducted field research in Ecuador and studied how the local harvesting community fit into the tagua market.
My Approach
I mapped the value chain from collection to retail and compared what harvesters, community stakeholders and an exporter could tell me about the stages they knew.
Tools & Methodology
Field interviews · Focus groups · Thematic analysis · Value-chain mapping
Results & Impact
The study identified barriers including limited access to market information, dependence on intermediaries and difficult working conditions. The findings describe the community studied.
Key Takeaways
A value-chain map becomes more informative when it shows who has access to information and where people have room to negotiate.