Rice Quality Defined by Urban Consumers and Value Chain Actors in South and Southeast Asia

Quality is a powerful engine in food value chain (VC) upgrading in developing countries. However, the concept is abstract. In the rice sector, for instance, there is currently no uniformly applicable definition of “rice quality” and there is even less unanimity on how it should be measured. Understanding how the market and industry perceives and differentiates rice quality could contribute to more efficient, demand-driven, and sustainable rice VCs. To assess how rice quality is perceived and defined by consumers and the industry, we review evidences from multi-country urban consumer surveys and key informant interviews with industry stakeholders conducted in selected countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) and South Asia (SA) in 2013–2014. We conclude that the specificity and heterogeneity of consumer perception of rice quality can guide rice breeders in incorporating grain quality improvements in varietal development programs relevant to target markets. And that rice quality is further reinforced through labeling, branding, and packaging. These results provide valuable insights that can be used by the rice industry stakeholders and policymakers in formulating value chain upgrading initiatives in Asia.