In October 2021, during an unseasonal rainstorm, the Compania Azucarera Valdez management team met to discuss the implications of a fundamental decision it needed to make: whether to end 20 years of sustainable sugarcane production using a unique biological control model and move to an integrated pest control model that included chemical insecticides. Gabriel Hernández, director of agriculture, stated that the change would increase profits by raising yields and reducing costs, and that the current biological controls were not as effective as they should be. Conversely, Paula Chacón, sustainability director, said that it could destabilize the ecosystem and generate more economic losses than benefits. Mario Goncalves, commercial director, mentioned the impact this could have on the company's brand positioning and its "de- comoditization" strategy, and the work they would need to do on the commercial side of things to offset these changes. He did, however, recognize the need to improve the company's financial results and invest in improving agricultural practices and strengthening the brand. The next board meeting was drawing near, and the management team needed to produce a concise proposal on how the company would be managed from 2022 onwards, and how it would increase its income by 2025.

Grupo Argos, the third-largest business group in Colombia, was dedicated to cement production, energy, coal extraction, port management, and real estate development. The President of Grupo Argos was to meet his team to analyze whether its five subsidiaries had the necessary means to increase revenues and reduce portfolio uncertainty. The group considered deepening their core businesses so that by 2023, 80% of EBITDA would be generated by core businesses, 15% from experimental scalable businesses, and without risking the portfolio, the remaining 5% from emerging markets. The goal was for 50% of its revenues to come from operations outside Colombia, 10% from new businesses, and for the cement business to reach revenues of USD 10 billion. The executive committee questioned whether it was best for Grupo Argos to maintain its current portfolio or whether it should divest.