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This book brings together a rich collection of material on management and organization in agri-food chains and networks. Producers, processors, traders and retailers of agricultural and food products operate in an economic and institutional environment that is increasingly dominated by global developments. Therefore, organizing efficient and effective supply chains as well as managing collaboration among participating firms requires an international perspective.This book presents theoretical and practical insights from many different parts of the world. Topics covered include classical supply chain management issues like logistics, information exchange (e.g. tracking and tracing), quality control, safety assurance, and chain performance. Other timely issues covered are joint innovation, and shared responsibility for sustainability in agri-food supply chains. Special attention is given to issues of governance and organization of chains and networks, for example, by focussing on the role of producer organisations (such as farmer cooperatives) in their effort to combine horizontal and vertical collaboration in the international upply chain.This book is relevant for both academics and managers interested in the latest advances in research on management and organization of international agri-food chains and networks

Advanta, headquartered in the Netherlands, is the sixth largest seed company in the world. It sells seeds for a broad range of field crops in many different regions. While the company is committed to applying biotechnology in plant breeding, it is faced with many uncertainties due to political reluctance on regulatory decisions and to low public acceptance in Europe. ; Includes bibliographical references

Table of contents -- Preface -- 1. Quality improvement in food value chains: searching for integrated solutions -- Abstract -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Defining food quality -- 1.3 Different perspectives of food chain analysis -- 1.4 Market access and the debate around the impact of quality standards -- 1.5 From innovation to co-innovation -- 1.6 Outline of the book -- References -- 2. Linking smallholder farmers to high quality food chains: appraising institutional arrangements -- Abstract -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Institutional constraints to quality improvement

ABSTRACTThe importance of cooperatives for European farmers has often been claimed but empirical studies to support this claim are scarce. This special issue presents a number of articles on the recent development and status of agricultural cooperatives in the European Union, based on original data collected in the EU‐wide study 'Support for Farmers' Cooperatives'. The articles focus on trends in the internal organization, the institutional environment, and the strategies that cooperatives have developed in supply chains and markets. This introductory article presents data on the market shares that cooperatives hold in different sectors and countries, and introduces the three key determinants of performance of cooperatives: policies, strategies and internal organization. Finally, the article develops a future research agenda.

The European seed and pesticide industries have gone through a period of great turmoil in the last decade of the twentieth century. Restructuring processes have been thoroughly influenced by the developments in plant biotechnology. Also changes in the consumer market for food products and changes in government policies have led producers of plant protection products (PPPs) and producers of seeds to reconsider their innovation activities. The agrochemical companies are the main drivers behind the integration of pesticides, biotechnology, and seeds. ; Includes bibliographical references

Agricultural cooperatives and producer organizations are institutional innovations which have the potential to reduce poverty and improve food security. This book presents a raft of international case studies, from developing and transition countries, to analyse the internal and external challenges that these complex organizations face and the solutions that they have developed. The contributors provide an increased understanding of the transformation of traditional community organizations into modern farmer-owned businesses. They cover issues including: the impact on rural development and inclusiveness, the role of social capital, formal versus informal organizations, democratic participation and member relations, and their role in value chains. Students and scholars will find the book's mutlidisciplinary approach useful in their research. It will also be of interest to policy-makers seeking to understand the wide diversity of organizational forms and functions. NGOs, donors and governments seeking to support rural developments will benefit from the discussions raised in this book. -- from back cover

The role of producer organizations in market chains has received increasing attention in recent years, both from governments and donors. In order to lower transaction costs, markets demand that smallholder farmers operate in an organized manner. However, though the policy openings for support seem promising, smallholder market access through farmer-led economic organisations is not easy.This book presents various approaches to support producer organisations in terms of providing economic services to their members, with a focus on developing countries. Markets are increasingly fragmented in value chains that link farmers with specific processors, retailers and consumer segments. Several contributions in this book analyse these dynamics in specific value chains, such as the fair trade and organic agriculture and their potential to provide market outlets for smallholder farmers.This book is the result of a Dutch partnership between policy makers, researchers and practitioners designed to confront ideas with realities. Organized in a platform called Agri-ProFocus, members aim to provide more and better support to producer organisations in the South. Through so-called expert meetings, staff from donor organisations and knowledge centres, government officials, and business representatives, share their experiences and lessons learned.The experiences presented in this book are not recipes for instant success, but instead, highlight that support processes are often more fragile and slower moving than policy makers realise. This book is essential reading for scholars, practitioners and researchers interested in supporting and facilitating trajectories of change led by producer organisations in developing countries

AbstractProducer organizations (POs) provide benefits to smallholders by alleviating market access challenges. However, whether all farmers benefit from a PO is still a question. Limited evidence is available on whether POs are inclusive of poor farmers. Even if the poor join, do they participate in decision‐making? We conducted interviews with 595 smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya. We distinguish three groups; members of a bargaining PO, members of a processing PO and non‐members. We show that membership is related to the structural characteristics of the organization: processing POs favor membership of farmers that are wealthier, more educated and more innovative. As to participation in the decision‐making process: older, male and specialized farmers have a higher chance of being involved than poor farmers. Factors distinguishing farmer participation in decision‐making between bargaining and processing POs are highlighted. We find that a bargaining PO is more inclusive of all groups of farmers, while women and poor farmers are excluded from decision‐making in a processing PO. Our findings contribute to policymaking on inclusive development.

AbstractTo what extent can co‐operatives strengthen rural development in sub‐Saharan Africa? This paper explores the development of agricultural co‐operatives in Ethiopia, particularly the changes in economic functions. Co‐operative development in Ethiopia has been strongly influenced by various political regimes. Based on expert interviews and a literature review, we explore the factors that influence a shift in economic functions from provision of inputs to commercialization of farm products. Our review shows that the impact of commercialization on farmer welfare is still inconclusive. Both the institutional environment and the internal governance structure have a hard time adjusting to changing economic conditions. © 2016 The Authors Journal of International Development Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.