INTERNATIONALIZATION OF COASTAL CHEESE FROM THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN: "A CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF THE GLOBAL CHEESE MARKET"

The coastal cheese of the Colombian Caribbean has export potential due to its organoleptic, productive characteristics, social recognition and cultural appropriation. However, it faces challenges due to the competitive and regulatory dynamics of the global dairy market. This study characterizes the structure of the world cheese market through a cluster analysis, identifying four groups of countries; Colombia was in an additional segment of countries with emerging cheese sectors, which face gaps in productivity and added value. The quality and safety standards for exporting to the United States and the European Union, which handle the highest value markets for this product, were compared, finding differences in regulatory approaches and levels of demands. Internationalization strategies are proposed such as designations of origin, innovation, adaptation to standards, and market diversification, recommending in turn, Policies for the export development of coastal cheese from the Colombian Caribbean.