ABSTRACT

Various studies have described the trends in the ‘supermarket revolution’ (see for example Reardon and Berdegue, 2002; Hu et al, 2004; Berdegue et al, 2007) and have pointed out that changes in the global agricultural economy present both opportunities and challenges to rural producers. With expanding urban populations and changes in dietary habits, trade liberalization and spreading technological innovations, value chains are being restructured to remain competitive. Changes include greater vertical integration and a shift from exclusive reliance on spot markets toward the use of specialized wholesalers, the proliferation of private quality and safety standards, and increased private enforcement of public standards (Pingali et al, 2005; Gulati et al, 2007).