Sustainability-Oriented Innovation in the Cocoa Industry: A Case Study in Brazil

Sustainability is a challenge for contemporary society and a potential source of innovation for organizations. This qualitative case study analyzed, through secondary data, what innovations (product, process, organizational, marketing) are developed by Dengo Chocolates (an industry in the Brazilian cocoa sector) in pursuit of the sustainability tripod. The results indicate that the company develops the four types of innovation, with an emphasis on product innovation. The environmental dimension of sustainability is more affected by its innovations, to the detriment of the economic dimension. Future studies can investigate the economic sustainability of companies with a socio-environmental purpose. Furthermore, it is suggested that additional studies be carried out on Sustainability-Oriented Innovation in small and medium-sized Brazilian companies, considering that these constitute most commercial enterprises in the country.