Análisis de la cadena de valor en el sector alimentos y bebidas de los municipios Libertador y Campo Elías del estado Mérida, Venezuela

Abstract

This article includes documental and field research, based on random sampling, in order to analyze the value chains in the food and beverages sector of the Libertador and Campo Elias municipalities, Merida State (Venezuela). Their results highlight that the entirety of companies can be considered as SMI (Pymis, inSpanish); a small portion of them practices horizontal combination; most of them work though alliances with suppliers, and distribute their products to the final consumers; they carry out agreements with suppliers and distributors, because their owners and managers know that these agreements contribute to cost reduction and product differentiation. In order to develop competitive advantages, the authors propose the detection of internal bonds and the re-configuration of the added value chain, combined with benchmarking and identification of main causes of costs; the continuation of vertical integration practices and also the deepening of horizontal integration. Key words: SMI, small and medium-sized industries, value chain, food and beverage sector, Merida State, Venezuela