Autonomy, Competence And Market Structure: Self-Determination Theory Applied To Small Agricultural Exporters From Latin America

The success of small agricultural producers in meeting the challenges of exporting high value products may be enhanced if interactions with intermediaries and market institutions support basic human needs. We use self-determination theory from social psychology to identify and examine the factors that support producer autonomy and competence in their relationship with the market, focused on their specific relationship with intermediaries. Focus groups were conducted with producers of trout and quinoa in Peru and rice, broccoli, passion fruit in Ecuador. Questions focused on producer interactions with intermediaries and include questions on dispute resolution, quality standards, price formation, market information, and the terms of their informal or formal agreement with intermediaries. These focus group interviews were translated and transcribed by native Spanish speakers from Ecuador and Peru and coded by the authors using Nvivo 8. The conceptual framework developed for coding facilitates examination of how support for competence, autonomy and relatedness is associated with market structure and the effectiveness of underlying institutions. Producer expressions of competence and autonomy are associated with the realized ability to make choices of intermediaries, clear and observed quality standards, and are further enhanced by higher levels of market knowledge. An NGO played a significant role supporting the competence, autonomy and relatedness of quinoa producers.