The Development of the Sugar Industry in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, 1901–2015

Abstract

During the XXth century, a group of agribusiness entrepreneurs from Valle del Cauca built, using different strategies, one of the most succesful business sectors in Colombia. The owners of factories in Valle del Cauca, leaders in sugar production, have expanded their investment portfolio by creating agribusinesses in other regions of the country and in other Latin American countries. Today, the Colombian sugar industry is one of the productive complexes with the most influence over the economic and social development of Valle del Cauca and Colombia. This paper is a synthesis of the main stages in that long-term development, underlining those that have been key to the productivity, returns, and sustainability of the sugar industry in the XXth century.