Conference Theme
Small producers in developing countries experience difficulty in accessing opportunities presented by non-traditional markets. Fuelled by rising population and concentration in urban areas, rising income, and the increasing demand for food safety, modern retailers are gaining an increasing share of the food market. Smallholder producers find difficulties in accessing these markets due to their inability to meet quality requirements, required volumes, variety and stability of supply. These constraints are magnified by inadequacies in post-harvest facilities, inventory and
logistic management, and governance mechanisms that result in the failure to produce cost competitive products. Furthermore, the lack of financial resources limits the capacity of farmers to cope with the credit terms often utilized by these modern markets, and their ability to invest in appropriate technologies to better improve performance. As this conference seeks to address the various means of improving the performance of supply chains in the
transitional economies, we shall welcome papers that discuss any one or more than one of the following themes:
Development policy
Quality and food safety standards
Market power
Trade and market development
Competition and vertical channels
Consumer preferences
Social capital
Post-harvest and logistic systems
Producer organizations
Environmental stewardship
Supply chain management
You may download the conference brochure by clicking this link.