IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/agrhuv/v36y2019i2d10.1007_s10460-019-09911-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of supermarket supply chain governance on smallholder farmer cooperatives: the case of Walmart in Nicaragua

Author

Listed:
  • Sara D. Elder

    (University of British Columbia)

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governments are promoting cooperatives as key to linking smallholder farmers with modern markets to achieve inclusive development, yet the specifics of these supply relationships remain poorly understood. This article uses data from 51 interviews with supply chain stakeholders and a survey of 110 smallholder vegetable farmers in Nicaragua to investigate the impact of cooperative-supermarket supply chain relationships on cooperatives, and the role retailers and NGOs play in facilitating these relationships. The study found that in Nicaragua, cooperatives selling to Walmart became unstable, in contrast with the performance of cooperatives selling to local supermarket chain La Colonia. The results show that cooperative performance is impacted by an interaction between differences in the types of farmers reached by the two supermarket chains, in the performance of the NGOs involved in each supply chain, and in the supermarkets’ business practices. The findings suggest that NGOs should pay more attention to buyer sourcing strategies and farmer needs when designing development interventions to link cooperatives of resource-poor farmers to markets, so as not to increase the vulnerability of smallholder farmers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara D. Elder, 2019. "The impact of supermarket supply chain governance on smallholder farmer cooperatives: the case of Walmart in Nicaragua," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 213-224, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:36:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10460-019-09911-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-019-09911-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10460-019-09911-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10460-019-09911-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barham, James & Chitemi, Clarence, 2009. "Collective action initiatives to improve marketing performance: Lessons from farmer groups in Tanzania," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 53-59, February.
    2. Barrett, Christopher B., 2008. "Smallholder market participation: Concepts and evidence from eastern and southern Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 299-317, August.
    3. Michelson, Hope & Reardon, Thomas & Perez, Francisco, 2012. "Small Farmers and Big Retail: Trade-offs of Supplying Supermarkets in Nicaragua," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 342-354.
    4. Hope C. Michelson, 2013. "Small Farmers, NGOs, and a Walmart World: Welfare Effects of Supermarkets Operating in Nicaragua," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(3), pages 628-649.
    5. Spencer Henson, 2011. "Private agrifood governance: conclusions, observations and provocations," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(3), pages 443-451, September.
    6. Berdegue, Julio A. & Balsevich, Fernando & Flores, Luis & Reardon, Thomas, 2005. "Central American supermarkets' private standards of quality and safety in procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 254-269, June.
    7. Devaux, André & Horton, Douglas & Velasco, Claudio & Thiele, Graham & López, Gastón & Bernet, Thomas & Reinoso, Iván & Ordinola, Miguel, 2009. "Collective action for market chain innovation in the Andes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 31-38, February.
    8. Poulton, Colin & Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan, 2010. "The Future of Small Farms: New Directions for Services, Institutions, and Intermediation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1413-1428, October.
    9. Ma, Wanglin & Abdulai, Awudu, 2016. "Does cooperative membership improve household welfare? Evidence from apple farmers in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 94-102.
    10. Fischer, Elisabeth & Qaim, Matin, 2012. "Linking Smallholders to Markets: Determinants and Impacts of Farmer Collective Action in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1255-1268.
    11. Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Supermarkets, Farm Household Income, and Poverty: Insights from Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 784-796, May.
    12. Narrod, Clare & Roy, Devesh & Okello, Julius & Avendaño, Belem & Rich, Karl & Thorat, Amit, 2009. "Public-private partnerships and collective action in high value fruit and vegetable supply chains," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 8-15, February.
    13. Snider, Anna & Gutiérrez, Isabel & Sibelet, Nicole & Faure, Guy, 2017. "Small farmer cooperatives and voluntary coffee certifications: Rewarding progressive farmers of engendering widespread change in Costa Rica?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 231-242.
    14. Ricardo Hernández & Thomas Reardon & Julio Berdegué, 2007. "Supermarkets, wholesalers, and tomato growers in Guatemala," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 36(3), pages 281-290, May.
    15. Kaganzi, Elly & Ferris, Shaun & Barham, James & Abenakyo, Annet & Sanginga, Pascal & Njuki, Jemimah, 2009. "Sustaining linkages to high value markets through collective action in Uganda," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 23-30, February.
    16. Reardon, Thomas & Barrett, Christopher B. & Berdegué, Julio A. & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Agrifood Industry Transformation and Small Farmers in Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1717-1727, November.
    17. Markelova, Helen & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Hellin, Jon & Dohrn, Stephan, 2009. "Collective action for smallholder market access," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-7, February.
    18. Trebbin, Anika, 2014. "Linking small farmers to modern retail through producer organizations – Experiences with producer companies in India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 35-44.
    19. Chagwiza, Clarietta & Muradian, Roldan & Ruben, Ruerd, 2016. "Cooperative membership and dairy performance among smallholders in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 165-173.
    20. Minten, Bart & Randrianarison, Lalaina & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Global Retail Chains and Poor Farmers: Evidence from Madagascar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1728-1741, November.
    21. Jason Konefal & Michael Mascarenhas & Maki Hatanaka, 2005. "Governance in the Global Agro-food System: Backlighting the Role of Transnational Supermarket Chains," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(3), pages 291-302, September.
    22. Neven, David & Odera, Michael Makokha & Reardon, Thomas & Wang, Honglin, 2009. "Kenyan Supermarkets, Emerging Middle-Class Horticultural Farmers, and Employment Impacts on the Rural Poor," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1802-1811, November.
    23. Balsevich, Fernando & Berdegue, Julio A. & Reardon, Thomas, 2006. "Supermarkets, New-Generation Wholesalers, Tomato Farmers, and NGOs in Nicaragua," Staff Paper Series 11479, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    24. Lawrence Busch, 2011. "The private governance of food: equitable exchange or bizarre bazaar?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(3), pages 345-352, September.
    25. Hellin, Jon & Lundy, Mark & Meijer, Madelon, 2009. "Farmer organization, collective action and market access in Meso-America," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 16-22, February.
    26. Jose Blandon & Spencer Henson & John Cranfield, 2009. "Small-scale farmer participation in new agri-food supply chains: Case of the supermarket supply chain for fruit and vegetables in Honduras," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(7), pages 971-984.
    27. Dauvergne, Peter, 2013. "Eco-Business: A Big-Brand Takeover of Sustainability," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262018760, December.
    28. Thomas Reardon & Julio A. Berdegué, 2002. "The Rapid Rise of Supermarkets in Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities for Development," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 20(4), pages 371-388, September.
    29. Holloway, Garth & Nicholson, Charles & Delgado, Chris & Staal, Steve & Ehui, Simeon, 2000. "Agroindustrialization through institutional innovation: Transaction costs, cooperatives and milk-market development in the east-African highlands," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 279-288, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jiali Wang & Yujia Huo & Xiangyu Guo & Yang Xu, 2022. "The Pricing Strategy of the Agricultural Product Supply Chain with Farmer Cooperatives as the Core Enterprise," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tray, Bunthan & Garnevska, Elena & Shadbolt, Nicola, 2021. "Linking smallholder producers to high-value markets through vegetable producer cooperatives in Cambodia," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 24(6), February.
    2. Bhanot, Disha & Kathuria, Vinish & Das, Debabrata, 2021. "Can institutional innovations in agri-marketing channels alleviate distress selling? Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    3. Ochieng, Dennis O. & Veettil, Prakashan C. & Qaim, Matin, 2017. "Farmers’ preferences for supermarket contracts in Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 100-111.
    4. Ebata, Ayako & Hernandez, Manuel A., 2017. "Linking smallholder farmers to markets on extensive and intensive margins: Evidence from Nicaragua☆," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 34-44.
    5. Jan Falkowski & Pavel Ciaian, 2016. "Factors Supporting the Development of Producer Organizations and their Impacts in the Light of Ongoing Changes in Food Supply Chains: A Literature Review," JRC Research Reports JRC101617, Joint Research Centre.
    6. Fischer, Elisabeth & Qaim, Matin, 2012. "Linking Smallholders to Markets: Determinants and Impacts of Farmer Collective Action in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1255-1268.
    7. Ola, Oreoluwa & Menapace, Luisa, 2020. "A meta-analysis understanding smallholder entry into high-value markets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    8. Andersson, Camilla I.M. & Kiria, Christine G. & Qaim, Matin & Rao, Elizaphan J.O., 2013. "Following up on smallholder farmers and supermarkets," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 158142, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    9. Ebata, Ayako & Velasco, Pamela & von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan, 2015. "Distance to market and farm-gate prices of staple beans in rural Nicaragua," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 197540, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    10. Bagchi, Niladri Sekhar & Mishra, Pulak & Behera, Bhagirath, 2021. "Value chain development for linking land-constrained farmers to markets: Experience from two selected villages of West Bengal, India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    11. Benali, Marwan & Brümmer, Bernhard & Afari-Sefa, Victor, 2017. "Small producer participation in export vegetable supply chains and poverty: evidence from different export schemes in Tanzania," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 262583, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    12. Ebata, Ayako & Pacheco, Pamela Alejandra & Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan von, 2015. "Distance to market and farm-gate prices of staple beans in rural Nicaragua," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211582, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Corsi, Stefano & Marchisio, Laura Viviana & Orsi, Luigi, 2017. "Connecting smallholder farmers to local markets: Drivers of collective action, land tenure and food security in East Chad," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 39-47.
    14. Raoul Herrmann & Ephraim Nkonya & Anja Faße, 2018. "Food value chain linkages and household food security in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(4), pages 827-839, August.
    15. Ebata, Ayako & Hernandez, Manuel A., 2016. "Linking smallholder farmers to commercial markets: Evidence from nongovernmental organization training in Nicaragua:," IFPRI discussion papers 1539, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Verena Bitzer & Pieter Glasbergen & Bas Arts, 2013. "Exploring the potential of intersectoral partnerships to improve the position of farmers in global agrifood chains: findings from the coffee sector in Peru," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(1), pages 5-20, March.
    17. Chege, Christine G.K. & Andersson, Camilla I.M. & Qaim, Matin, 2015. "Impacts of Supermarkets on Farm Household Nutrition in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 394-407.
    18. Abraham, Mathew & Verteramo Chiu, Leslie & Joshi, Ekta & Ali Ilahi, Muhammad & Pingali, Prabhu, 2022. "Aggregation models and small farm commercialization – A scoping review of the global literature," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    19. Ebata, Ayako & Hüttel, Silke, 2015. "Do development projects link smallholders to markets?," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 204326, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    20. Maspaitella, Marcus & Garnevska, Elena & Siddique, Muhammad I. & Shadbolt, Nicola, 2018. "Towards high value markets: a case study of smallholder vegetable farmers in Indonesia," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(1).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:36:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10460-019-09911-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.