National drinks and value chains: a perspective to improve community resilience through the development of adaptive capacities in Latin America

Purpose This paper aims to explore how government, industry and society strengthen value chains in Latin America’s national drinks sector of Tequila (Mexico), Pisco (Peru), Singani (Bolivia) and Cachaça (Brazil), to enhance community resilience through adaptive capacities amid global challenges. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative route through a global value chain (GVC) analysis in a multiple case study. The data collection instruments are an exhaustive literature review and document analysis from secondary sources as well as interviews with experts in the four countries. Findings The multiple case study shows that differences in GVC governance and power asymmetries shape community resilience by affecting specific adaptive capacities across four Latin American national drinks. The authors assess ten community resilience factors and identify eight adaptive capacities that enhance resilience: social networks, institutional capacity, economic resources, infrastructure, economic diversification, environmental responsiveness, skills and innovation and technology. The strongest cross-case contrasts emerge in institutional capacity, social networks and innovation/technology, showing how governance configurations, such as consolidated multistakeholder coordination versus fragmented or inconsistent regulation, enable or constrain these capacities. Originality/value This article contributes to the IB and GVC literature by arguing that community resilience in Latin America’s emblematic beverage sectors depends less on GVC participation and more on local adaptive capacities. It extends GVC governance theory by integrating adaptive governance and offers original empirical insights into how institutional arrangements shape inclusive development in fragile contexts. The findings reveal upgrading is not only economic or technological, but also social, institutional and legitimacy-based, challenging dominant frameworks focused only on firm-level capabilities.