Overall Goal

The purpose of this project is to provide a descriptive-prescriptive understanding of how a small company can upgrade and engage in value-addition of local foods and services in natural areas of rural Indonesia.

Company/Business and Location

Cau Chocolates is a private, family business with headquarters in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia

Company Profile

Cau Chocolates is a small company with a large social entrepreneurial spirit. The company introduces rural life to international visitors in an Agro-tourism format. Along the way, Cau discovered chocolate and this business activity became the fastest growing aspect of the company. They remain interested in providing rural tours, but chocolate is now a very viable business.

Cau’s mission is to produce high quality, organic chocolate with ingredients sourced from local farmers using sustainable agricultural practices. Manufacturing chocolate is one of the draws for the agro-tourism industry. Additionally, the company is committed to educating young people about sustainable farming systems using cacao plants.

Proposed Team Tasks

While in Bali, the SMART team will aim to:
1. Understand and document Cau’s value chain from products to services;
2. Carry out market research analysis, centering around potential local and international markets; and
3. Benchmark other businesses in selected locations within Indonesia.

Skill Requirements

Preferred skillsets for working with Cau Chocolates include:
• Good understanding of business (e.g. market analysis, value chains, etc) and development frameworks;
• Research, analytical and writing skills (e.g. publishable case study); and
• Knowledge in fields such as food science, economics/management, policy and engineering skills.

Suggested Timeline

Tentative dates are January 6-17, 2019

Team Leader

Project Advisor: Dr. Ralph Christy, Professor—Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Team Leader:

– Sheren Winarto: slw253@cornell.edu

Additional Information

Website: http://cauchocolatesbali.com/