IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/gagfdp/197709.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Understanding participation in modern supply chains under a social network perspective – evidence from blackberry farmers in the Ecuadorian Andes

Author

Listed:
  • Herforth, Nico
  • Theuvsen, Ludwig
  • Vásquez, Wilson
  • Wollni, Meike

Abstract

In this paper, we use semi-structured interviews with firm representatives and original survey data to study the factors influencing farmers’ participation in modern supply chains in the Ecuadorian blackberry sector. Previous research has emphasized the important role of farm size and non-farm assets enabling participation in these chains. Going beyond this scope of analysis, we argue that farmers’ social networks can be an important avenue to facilitate inclusion. Using different probit model specifications, we find that individual farmers’ social networks are important determinants for participation in modern supply chains in an environment characterized by a homogenous farm sector. Further research is needed to explore the specific pathways through which social networks exert their influence.

Suggested Citation

  • Herforth, Nico & Theuvsen, Ludwig & Vásquez, Wilson & Wollni, Meike, 2015. "Understanding participation in modern supply chains under a social network perspective – evidence from blackberry farmers in the Ecuadorian Andes," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 197709, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:gagfdp:197709
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.197709
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/197709/files/GlobalFood_DP57.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.197709?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. David Neven & Thomas Reardon, 2004. "The Rise of Kenyan Supermarkets and the Evolution of their Horticulture Product Procurement Systems," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 22(6), pages 669-699, November.
    2. Charles F. Manski, 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(3), pages 531-542.
    3. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 2001. "Estimating Wealth Effects Without Expenditure Data—Or Tears: An Application To Educational Enrollments In States Of India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(1), pages 115-132, February.
    4. Milagrosa, Aimee & Slangen, Louis H.G., 2006. "Measuring Social Capital among indigenous agricultural people of the Cordilleras in Northern Philippines," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21126, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Ma, Xingliang & Spielman, David J. & Nazli, Hina & Zambrano, Patricia & Zaidi, Fatima & Kouser, Shahzad, 2014. "The role of social networks in an imperfect market for agricultural technology products: Evidence on Bt cotton adoption in Pakistan," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 175276, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Escobal, Javier A. & Cavero, Denice, 2012. "Transaction Costs, Institutional Arrangements and Inequality Outcomes: Potato Marketing by Small Producers in Rural Peru," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 329-341.
    9. Langyintuo, Augustine S. & Mungoma, Catherine, 2008. "The effect of household wealth on the adoption of improved maize varieties in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 550-559, December.
    10. Oriana Bandiera & Imran Rasul, 2006. "Social Networks and Technology Adoption in Northern Mozambique," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(514), pages 869-902, October.
    11. Zhang, Xiaobo & Li, Guo, 2003. "Does guanxi matter to nonfarm employment?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 315-331, June.
    12. 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.
    13. Ira Matuschke & Matin Qaim, 2009. "The impact of social networks on hybrid seed adoption in India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(5), pages 493-505, September.
    14. Barrett, Christopher B. & Bachke, Maren E. & Bellemare, Marc F. & Michelson, Hope C. & Narayanan, Sudha & Walker, Thomas F., 2012. "Smallholder Participation in Contract Farming: Comparative Evidence from Five Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 715-730.
    15. Wollni, Meike & Andersson, Camilla, 2014. "Spatial patterns of organic agriculture adoption: Evidence from Honduras," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 120-128.
    16. 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.
    17. Williamson, Oliver E, 1979. "Transaction-Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractural Relations," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 233-261, October.
    18. Miyata, Sachiko & Minot, Nicholas & Hu, Dinghuan, 2009. "Impact of Contract Farming on Income: Linking Small Farmers, Packers, and Supermarkets in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1781-1790, November.
    19. Wydick, Bruce & Karp Hayes, Harmony & Hilliker Kempf, Sarah, 2011. "Social Networks, Neighborhood Effects, and Credit Access: Evidence from Rural Guatemala," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 974-982, June.
    20. Johny, Judit & Wichmann, Bruno & Swallow, Brent, 2014. "Role of Social Networks in Diversification o Income Sources in Rural India," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170357, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    21. 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.
    22. 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.
    23. 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.
    24. Okten, Cagla & Osili, Una Okonkwo, 2004. "Social Networks and Credit Access in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1225-1246, July.
    25. Ponce, Juan & Bedi, Arjun S., 2010. "The impact of a cash transfer program on cognitive achievement: The Bono de Desarrollo Humano of Ecuador," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 116-125, February.
    26. Bignebat, Celine & Koc, A. Ali & Lemeilleur, Sylvaine, 2009. "Linking small producers to supermarkets? The role of intermediaries on the fresh fruit and vegetable market in Turkey," 111th Seminar, June 26-27, 2009, Canterbury, UK 52856, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    27. 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.
    28. Mano, Yukichi & Yamano, Takashi & Suzuki, Aya & Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2011. "Local and Personal Networks in Employment and the Development of Labor Markets: Evidence from the Cut Flower Industry in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1760-1770.
    29. John Wilkinson, 2004. "The Food Processing Industry, Globalization and Developing Countries," The Electronic Journal of Agricultural and Development Economics, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 1(2), pages 184-201.
    30. Céline Bignebat & Ahmet Ali Koç & Sylvaine Lemeilleur, 2009. "Small producers, supermarkets, and the role of intermediaries in Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable market," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(s1), pages 807-816, November.
    31. Jean-Joseph Cadilhon & Paule Moustier & Nigel D. Poole & Phan Thi Giac Tam & Andrew P. Fearne, 2006. "Traditional vs. Modern Food Systems? Insights from Vegetable Supply Chains to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 24(1), pages 31-49, January.
    32. Stringer, Randy & Sang, Naiquan & Croppenstedt, André, 2009. "Producers, Processors, and Procurement Decisions: The Case of Vegetable Supply Chains in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1773-1780, November.
    33. Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Qaim, Matin, 2010. "Supermarkets, farm household income and poverty: Insights from Kenya," 2010 AAAE Third Conference/AEASA 48th Conference, September 19-23, 2010, Cape Town, South Africa 95771, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    34. John Humphrey, 2007. "The supermarket revolution in developing countries: tidal wave or tough competitive struggle?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 433-450, July.
    35. Annemie Maertens & Christopher B. Barrett, 2013. "Measuring Social Networks' Effects on Agricultural Technology Adoption," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(2), pages 353-359.
    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. Awal Abdul‐Rahaman & Awudu Abdulai, 2020. "Social networks, rice value chain participation and market performance of smallholder farmers in Ghana," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 216-227, June.
    2. Luong, Tuan, 2023. "Network resilience and risk attitudes: Evidence from Vietnamese Vegetable Farming," 97th Annual Conference, March 27-29, 2023, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 334556, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    3. Vieraa, William & Vierab, Alex & Martíneza, Aníbal & Jácomea, Rosendo & Ayalaa, Germán & Sotomayora, Andrea & Galarzaa, David & Ronc, Lenin, 2018. "Factors influencing peach farmer income in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador," Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales, Spanish Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 17(02), January.

    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. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. H.H. Chang & C. van Marrewijk & R. Stringer & W. Umberger, 2013. "Investment, awareness, supermarkets, and profits: heterogeneous chili farmers in Indonesia," Working Papers 13-13, Utrecht School of Economics.
    4. Qaim, Matin & Andersson, Camilla I.M. & Chege, Christine G.K. & Kimenju, Simon Chege & Klasen, Stephan & Rischke, Ramona, 2014. "Nutrition Effects of the Supermarket Revolution on Urban Consumers and Smallholder Farmers in Kenya," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 177204, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Chege, Christine G. K. & Andersson, Camilla I.M. & Qaim, Matin, 2014. "Impacts of supermarkets on farm household nutrition in Kenya," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 167910, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. Chege, Christine G.K. & Andersson, Camilla I.M. & Qaim, Matin, 2014. "Impacts Of Supermarkets On Farm Household Nutrition In Kenya," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182724, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Van den Broeck, Goedele & Swinnen, Johan & Maertens, Miet, 2017. "Global value chains, large-scale farming, and poverty: Long-term effects in Senegal," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 97-107.
    12. 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..
    13. 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..
    14. Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "The supermarket revolution and impacts on agricultural labor markets: Empirical evidence from Kenya," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 107745, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    15. Nuthalapati, Chandra S.R. & Sutradhar, Rajib & Reardon, Thomas & Qaim, Matin, 2020. "Supermarket procurement and farmgate prices in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. 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.
    17. Conrad Murendo & Meike Wollni & Alan De Brauw & Nicholas Mugabi, 2018. "Social Network Effects on Mobile Money Adoption in Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(2), pages 327-342, February.
    18. 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).
    19. Elizaphan J. O. Rao & Bernhard Brümmer & Matin Qaim, 2012. "Farmer Participation in Supermarket Channels, Production Technology, and Efficiency: The Case of Vegetables in Kenya," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 94(4), pages 891-912.
    20. Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Qaim, Matin, 2013. "Supermarkets and agricultural labor demand in Kenya: A gendered perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 165-176.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:gagfdp:197709. 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/iagoede.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.