Dear lovely readers and students:

Our masterclass is the continuation of our last episode, using the case of Indonesian cacao. Please remember that our approach is from the point of view of a corporate strategist; consequently, our analysis is focused on the things that matter at that level. Our first priority as corporate strategists is to define what products or services are not only appropriate, but will add value to our business essence, society, and the environment. The allocation of resources also pertains to us, and this chapter is dedicated to it.

Our agenda is simple: we asked ourselves, why is Indonesia producing cacao today? Why does it matter? And we were on duty to visit the past, when Indonesia was the Dutch East Indies. From there, we are going to guide you on the rationale of the cultuurstelsels, and how all the Indonesian complexities of the 20th century shaped the modus operandi of agricultural plantations in this part of South Asia. Additionally, in the present, we will explore the economic structure of Indonesia and how agricultural commodities are a relevant sector under resource-based industrialization (RBI). Finally, when landing into cacao, how small farmers (most of them owners of their plots) are facing all the main challenges resiliently. Including climate change.

This example is extremely illustrative because it shows the balanced GDP matrix of the economy of Indonesia, and how this economy has been resilient in reshaping its structure while adding value and facing greater competitors. It is in the art of allocating resources that we will discover what they need to do to recover their cacao economic park for the future. The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) will impose certain pressure to Indonesia, as much as the rest of the nations harvesting cacao in the tropical belt zones.

Your reference material is ready. You can print it on paper, download it, and read it over the weekend. I will add all the bibliography over the weekend, which is 3 pages extensive, and I need time to include it all. Share your thoughts with your colleagues, friends, and students.

We kindly ask that you return next Monday, the 24th of August, to review our strategic reflections on this chapter.
We encourage our readers to familiarize themselves with our Friday master class by reviewing the slides over the weekend. We expect you to create ideas that are or are not strategic reflections. Every Monday, we upload our strategic inferences below. These will be discussed in the next paragraph. Only then will you be able to compare your own reflections with our introspection. We always give our students a couple of days to prepare well before our final reflection.

Strategic reflections on this episode.
These will be in the section below on Monday, the 24th of August of 2026.

Announcement.
Our next episode is about numbers. Revenue streams and Cost structure. We will use an example from the start. The Ethiopian Coffee, and we will directly jump to show you how to structure different revenue streams under a lean cost structure for small farmers who are aspiring to find opportunities to become middle-class.

Musical Section.
This saga is committed to raising the traditional musical instruments and their respective musicians over the digitally produced sounds. This saga is dedicated to the chamber orchestras. 
Today, we have chosen the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. With 23 members in total, under the direction of the master violinist Candida Thompson.The Amsterdam Sinfonietta is one of the most remarkable string chamber orchestras in the world. For this occasion, the Sinfonietta interprets the CPE Bach Symphony in E major. For more information about this orchestra, click here: https://www.sinfonietta.nl/en/discover-the-orchestra/

Enjoy!

Thank you for reading http://www.eleonoraescalantestrategy.com. It is a privilege to learn. Blessings.

Sources of reference and bibliography utilized for today´s inferences. The bibliography is listed on the last slide of the reference reading material. Click the respective URL to trace them.

Bibliography in this post: This will be added accordingly with the strategic reflections.

Disclaimer: Eleonora Escalante paints Illustrations in Watercolor. Other types of illustrations or videos (which are not mine) are used for educational purposes ONLY. All are used as Illustrative and non-commercial images. Utilized only informatively for the public good. Unless otherwise stated, I do not own any lovely photos or images.