Quality management and strategic alliances in the mango supply chain from Costa Rica
Quality management and strategic alliances in the mango supply chain from Costa Rica

Author: Guillermo E. Zúñiga-Arias

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-08-28

Total Pages: 139

ISBN-13: 9086866212

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"This book develops an integrated research framework in which social science and natural science merge in the analysis of the relationships and transactions within the mango supply chain from Costa Rica. More specifically, behaviour economics, and institutional economics is combined with quality management and product development techniques. This book is also important because it uses an innovative gaming simulation for research and not only for training. The game develops a standard supply chain for a perishable product, which is used for simulating the bargaining power and revenue distribution of the agents in the chain and the governance structure preferred for doing business. This game simulation is played by the real producers in the field. Other important topics covered are quality management and quality variability. Studying quality management (intrinsic and extrinsic attributes) in relation to the farm household characteristics, production system and agreements, enables us to define some economic incentives to improve the quality of the produce. Studying the variability of the produce helps us understand and describe how the different management practices throughout the chain affects the quality of the produce. This relates to the market outlet choice the producers make and the strategic behaviour they have. This book is of interest for professionals and practitioners involved in the design, management and assessment of national and international supply chains for perishable produce."

Supply chain integration, quality management and firm performance of pork processing industry in China
Supply chain integration, quality management and firm performance of pork processing industry in China

Author: Jiqin Han

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-09-04

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 9086866840

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Food quality incidents have made societal concerns on food safety grow worldwide. In the developed world, academics and practitioners explore food quality using a supply chain perspective. In transitional economies, such as China, this perspective is largely unexplored. This book addresses food quality and firm performance improvements through supply chain integration and quality management in China’s pork processing industry. Data were collected from Chinese pork processing firms. This book shows the relationship between quality management practices and firm performance. Factors that influence firm performance include in-company quality management, supplier/customer quality management, employee involvement and integrated governance mechanisms. This book is a valuable resource for practitioners of meat processing enterprises, as well as academic researchers with an interest in the areas of agri-food supply chain governance, quality management and firm performance in transitional economies.

The impact of Fair Trade
The impact of Fair Trade

Author: Ruerd Ruben

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-08-28

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 9086866476

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Twenty years ago, Fair Trade started as an effort to enable smallholder producers from developing countries to successfully compete in international markets. Better access to market outlets and stable prices are considered key principles for sustainable poverty reduction and stakeholder participation based on 'trade, not aid'. While Fair Trade is primarily conceived as a trading partnership - based on dialogue, transparency and mutual respect - seeking greater equity in international trade, it relies on an organized social movement promoting standards for production practices and delivery procedures, working conditions and labour remuneration, environmental care and social policies in supply chains of certified tropical goods. Over the past two decades, sales of Fair Trade products have considerably increased. After the first shipments of coffee, the range of products has gradually broadened to include fruit (particularly bananas, pineapple and citrus), tea, cocoa, textiles, cosmetics and a whole series of other products. Global Fair Trade sales have steadily grown to approximately EUR 1.6 billion worldwide, covering almost 600 producer organizations in more than 55 developing countries that represent close to a million families of farmers and workers. In recent years, efforts have been made towards mainstreaming of Fair Trade involving large international companies and retail chains. While numerous case studies and descriptive overviews are available to illustrate the importance of Fair Trade for producers and their families in developing countries, little quantitative evidence has been presented to review the socio-economic impact of Fair Trade. This collection of articles provides the first balanced in-depth analysis of the real welfare impact of Fair Trade, paying attention to key dimensions of income, consumption, wealth, environment, empowerment and gender. The core articles are based on extensive field surveys in Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Kenya and Mexico, and provide valuable insights in the contributions and constraints for producers’ involvement in Fair Trade. In addition, attention is paid to the broader implications for international trade regimes and the ethical perspectives on Fair Trade.

The organisation of transactions
The organisation of transactions

Author: Sebastiaan Meijer

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-09-04

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 908686659X

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The globalisation of supply chains and networks causes traders from all over the world to make transactions with each other. Many transactions are made in world markets where the price is the way in which supply and demand are brought together. Other transactions, however, are made between people who know each other and have business relationships, using the so-called network mode of organisation. These traders may be loyal to one another and consider the role of social variables like trust, embeddedness and culture in their choices. This balance between network and market modes of organisation is not yet fully understood and is addressed in this book. This book uses a new research method that is ideally suited to study complex supply networks with all of its different traders. Gaming simulation is an established method for training and policy evaluation, but its application as a both quantitative and qualitative research method is relatively new. Two gaming simulations, called the Trust and Tracing Game (to study trust and cheating) and the Mango Chain Game (to study bargaining power and revenue distribution) are applied to show empirical results of a generic supply network trading products with a hidden quality attribute and the mango supply network from Costa Rica. This book is of interest for two categories of readers. Those who may like to concentrate on the empirical results will be interested in the factors that determine the choice of a mode of organisation in supply networks. Those who are interested in the methodology may wish to use gaming simulation as a research tool in their own research.

Competition Policies and Consumer Welfare
Competition Policies and Consumer Welfare

Author: Lahcen Achy

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2016-09-30

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1784717231

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The fundamental goal of competition law is to support productivity and innovativeness; in fact, the short-term effect of enforcement actions is often a reduction in product prices. This book reports the findings of consumer market studies into a range of goods and services in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It finds a pervasive lack of competition in those markets, which not only reduces the standard of living of consumers, including poor and vulnerable groups, but also softens the incentives on firms to improve the efficiency of their operations and the quality of their products

Global Value Chains and World Trade
Global Value Chains and World Trade

Author: René Antonio Hernández

Publisher: UN

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13:

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"Selection of original papers presented at the international conference 'Latin America's Prospects for Upgrading in Global Value Chains,' held on 14-15 March 2012, at Colegio de Mexico, Mexico City"--Title page vers

Tropical food chains
Tropical food chains

Author: Ruerd Ruben

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-08-28

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 908686600X

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"International supply chains of vulnerable tropical food products face major problems in the fields of quality performance and coordination between supply chain partners. Degradation and variability of quality, segmentation of supply networks and scattered production by smallholder producers could severely hinder reliable deliveries at required standards. Concerted efforts for improving governance regimes and management practices are required to enhance supply chain performance. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the interfaces between market outlet choice, supply chain governance, quality management and value added distribution. Main attention is given to better incentives and transparency in contracts and bargaining procedures that could contribute to reduced transaction costs and risk, as well as techno-managerial strategies for improving both quality and value added. The editors present an integrated interdisciplinary framework for the simultaneous analysis of technical, managerial and socio-economic dimensions of international supply chain originating in developing countries. Selected case studies based on extensive field research highlight in Costa Rica (mango and pepper), Ivory Coast (pineapples), Kenya (fish), Ethiopia (dairy), Ghana (cocoa), India (cashew) and China (vegetables and pork) provide detailed insights in different options for enhancing integrated quality management and supply chain coordination. Professionals and practioners involved in the design, management and assessment of (inter)national supply chains for tropical products will particularly benefit from this unique collection."

Poverty, Inequality, and Evaluation
Poverty, Inequality, and Evaluation

Author: Ray C. Rist

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2015-10-15

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 1464807043

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The basic premise of this book is that the conversation on the future of development needs to shift from a focus on poverty to that of inequality. The poverty emphasis is in an intellectual and political cul de sac. It does not address the fundamental question of why people are poor nor what can be done structurally and institutionally to reduce and eliminate it. The various chapters illustrate in the context of various countries and sectors around the world, the significant contributions that evaluators can make in terms of improvement of the analytical framework, analysis of the performance and results of specific programs and projects, as well as assessing and designing better public management systems in terms of poverty and inequality reduction. Beyond the specific contributions presented, three characteristics characterize those evaluations to be relevant for poverty and inequality analysis: a global-local approach: Global to move beyond disciplinary boundaries and consider cross-cutting issues, local to account for the diversity of countries, sectors, institutions and cultures considered; a problem-solving orientation: The issue evaluated is the core focus and determines the choice of evaluation methods to analyze this issue from a variety of angles; an evolutionary approach: Chapters presented are from iconoclasts who do not have any pre-established theory or school of thought to defend. This is the result of openness of mind and ability to adapt the analytical framework, the evaluation methods, and the interpretation of results in a constant interaction with the stakeholders. Such characteristics make evaluation a domain that can help understand better complex issues like poverty, inequality, vulnerability, and their interactions as well as propose a relevant and useful theory of change for public policies and projects to improve the plight of a large part of the world population in industrialized and developing countries alike.

International agrifood chains and networks
International agrifood chains and networks

Author: Jos Bijman

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-08-28

Total Pages: 407

ISBN-13: 9086865739

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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."

Cost-effective Management Tools for Ensuring Food Quality and Safety
Cost-effective Management Tools for Ensuring Food Quality and Safety

Author: Pilar Santacoloma

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13:

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"The purpose of this manual is to improve and build the capacities of small and medium agro-industrial enterprises in order to guarantee the quality and safety of food products. The approach integrates the different factors that affect the capacity of a business to produce foods to meet market expectations and recognized standards, while maintaining and increasing the profitability and life of the business. Management and technical aspects are integrated through a practical and cost-effective approach. The manual includes four modules on the following subjects: the use of market information for improving quality management; systems and tools for improving quality and safety management in agro-industry; the application of quality management principles in small and medium agro-industrial enterprises; planning as a tool for improving quality and safety management. The manual contains case studies, exercises and bibliographic references, as well as a trainers' guide ... appendices with further reading, links of interest and a glossary. The manual aims to assist trainers and entrepreneurs wishing to use the material for self-learning. With this manual, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides the small and medium agro-industry sector in developing countries with an important tool for improving competitiveness and the capacity to deliver high-quality products to consumers."--P. [4] of cover.