ABSTRACT
In the Philippines, the challenge is to make small-scale producers attractive to buyers so that new organizations of small farmers can market their produce to supermarkets. At the moment, this is not a problem because half the food supply system is through the traditional markets. Evidence from other countries further down the supermarketization' road is that unless steps are taken to organize groups now that have internal coherence and trust, the supermarkets will turn to the plantations. There have been notable changes in the Philippine retail food industry. The number of supermarkets has been increasing, including those that are owned by foreign investors, albeit more slowly than in other Asian countries. Moreover, there are increasing opportunities in private label products. Also, the share of supermarkets of total food sales has been expanding, including fresh produce.
