IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/eaa105/7865.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

What about the food 'quality turn' in South Africa? Focus on the organic movement development

Author

Listed:
  • Vermeulen, Hester
  • Bienabe, Estelle

Abstract

This paper depicts how the general turn from mass consumption toward increased qualitative differentiation of products - the 'quality turn' - manifest in the South African agro-food system. The strong influence of these quality trends on agro-food systems evolution has been widely discussed in Europe and North America. We show that identifying quality related dynamics is bringing an interesting perspective into understanding some of the evolution of the local agro-food system. The discussion is mainly based on the perspective of the organic sector. Most domestic retailers' food quality positioning is in line with consumer trends, being general and price orientated. However, the retail sector has been entering and driving quality related niche markets, especially organics, fostering new organizational arrangements through certification schemes development. Price premiums and consumer behavior analysis associated with organic production reveal significant consumers' willingness to pay for immaterial product attributes (e.g. health) and reflect the current supply and demand imbalance in the organic sector. The leading role of the retail sector in conveying quality movements is instrumental in understanding the discussed evolution. Pointing out the growing interest in farmer's markets provides elements to foresee new development in the agro-food system and departure from the retail driven quality movement.

Suggested Citation

  • Vermeulen, Hester & Bienabe, Estelle, 2007. "What about the food 'quality turn' in South Africa? Focus on the organic movement development," 105th Seminar, March 8-10, 2007, Bologna, Italy 7865, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:eaa105:7865
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.7865
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/7865/files/pp07ve01.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.7865?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reardon, Thomas & Codron, Jean-Marie & Busch, Lawrence & Bingen, R. James & Harris, Craig, 1999. "Global Change In Agrifood Grades And Standards: Agribusiness Strategic Responses In Developing Countries," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 2(3-4), pages 1-15.
    2. Unknown, 2005. "Forward," 2005 Conference: Slovenia in the EU - Challenges for Agriculture, Food Science and Rural Affairs, November 10-11, 2005, Moravske Toplice, Slovenia 183804, Slovenian Association of Agricultural Economists (DAES).
    3. Thomas Reardon & C. Peter Timmer & Christopher B. Barrett & Julio Berdegué, 2003. "The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1140-1146.
    4. Raynolds, Laura T., 2004. "The Globalization of Organic Agro-Food Networks," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 725-743, May.
    5. Jonathan Murdoch & Terry Marsden & Jo Banks, 2000. "Quality, Nature, and Embeddedness: Some Theoretical Considerations in the Context of the Food Sector," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 76(2), pages 107-125, April.
    6. 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.
    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. Dobbelstein Thomas & Mason Roger B. & Kamwendo Andrew, 2020. "Consumer Perceptions of Critical Success Factors for Small Local Consumer Brands," Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Oeconomica, Sciendo, vol. 65(2), pages 65-89, August.
    2. T. van der Heijden & N. Vink, 2013. "Good for whom? Supermarkets and small farmers in south africa - a critical review of current approaches to increasing access to modern markets," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 68-86, March.

    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. Thomas Reardon & David Zilberman, 2022. "Symbiotic, Resilient, and Rapidly Transforming Food Supply Chains in LMICs: Supermarket and E-commerce Revolutions Helped by Wholesale and Logistics Co-pivoting," NBER Chapters, in: Risks in Agricultural Supply Chains, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Henson, Spencer & Reardon, Thomas, 2005. "Private agri-food standards: Implications for food policy and the agri-food system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 241-253, June.
    3. Weinberger, Katinka & Lumpkin, Thomas A., 2007. "Diversification into Horticulture and Poverty Reduction: A Research Agenda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1464-1480, August.
    4. Swinnen Johan & Vandeplas Anneleen, 2012. "Rich Consumers and Poor Producers: Quality and Rent Distribution in Global Value Chains," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-30, January.
    5. Reardon, Thomas & Gulati, Ashok, 2008. "The rise of supermarkets and their development implications: International experience relevant for India," IFPRI discussion papers 752, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. 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.
    7. Mathew Joseph & Nirupama Soundararajan & Manisha Gupta & Sanghamitra Sahu, 2008. "Impact of Organized Retailing on the Unorganized Sector," Macroeconomics Working Papers 22167, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    8. Miet Maertens & Liesbeth Colen & Johan F. M. Swinnen, 2011. "Globalisation and poverty in Senegal: a worst case scenario?," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 38(1), pages 31-54, March.
    9. Ola, Oreoluwa & Menapace, Luisa, 2020. "A meta-analysis understanding smallholder entry into high-value markets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    10. Riisgaard, Lone, 2009. "Global Value Chains, Labor Organization and Private Social Standards: Lessons from East African Cut Flower Industries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 326-340, February.
    11. Minten, Bart & Singh, K.M. & Sutradhar, Rajib, 2011. "Branding in food retail of high value crops in Asia: Case of Makhana from Bihar (India)," MPRA Paper 54334, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 31 Jan 2011.
    12. 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.
    13. Hildegunn E. Stokke, 2009. "Multinational supermarket chains in developing countries: does local agriculture benefit?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(6), pages 645-656, November.
    14. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan, 2015. "Agricultural trade and development: A value chain perspective," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2015-04, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    15. Nalini ARUMUGAM & Mohamed Arshad FATIMAH & Eddie F.C. CHIEW & Mohamed ZAINALABIDIN, 2010. "Supply chain analysis of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV): Prospects of contract farming," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 56(9), pages 435-442.
    16. Sarah Bowen & Tad Mutersbaugh, 2014. "Local or localized? Exploring the contributions of Franco-Mediterranean agrifood theory to alternative food research," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(2), pages 201-213, June.
    17. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Trade, Standards, and Poverty: Evidence from Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 161-178, January.
    18. 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.
    19. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    20. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    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:ags:eaa105:7865. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaaeeea.html .

    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.