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Smallholder Farmers in the Speciality Coffee Industry: Opportunities, Constraints and the Businesses that are Making it Possible

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  • Inma Borrella
  • Carlos Mataix
  • Ruth Carrasco‐Gallego

Abstract

Coffee has traditionally been a commodity product sold in a highly competitive and saturated global market. This lack of product differentiation has made coffee farmers very vulnerable to fluctuating prices. During the last decade, the coffee industry is undergoing a process of decommoditisation, offering an opportunity for farmers to differentiate their coffee in terms of sustainability and quality and to commercialise it more directly. However, smallholder farmers face productivity and transactional constraints that inhibit them from accessing these higher‐value market segments. Intermediaries are needed to connect them with this new market. In this article, we present a cross‐case study analysis of three ‘connective businesses’ that are facilitating direct trade relationships between smallholder farmers and speciality coffee roasters.

Suggested Citation

  • Inma Borrella & Carlos Mataix & Ruth Carrasco‐Gallego, 2015. "Smallholder Farmers in the Speciality Coffee Industry: Opportunities, Constraints and the Businesses that are Making it Possible," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(3), pages 29-44, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:idsxxx:v:46:y:2015:i:3:p:29-44
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/1759-5436.12142
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    Cited by:

    1. Sylvaine Lemeilleur & Julie Subervie & Anderson Edilson Presoto & Roberta de Castro Souza & Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes, 2016. "Eco-certified contract choice among coffee farmersin Brazil," Working Papers 16-09, LAMETA, Universtiy of Montpellier.
    2. Ghoshray, Atanu, 2021. "Are coffee farmers worse off in the long run?," 95th Annual Conference, March 29-30, 2021, Warwick, UK (Hybrid) 311084, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    3. Agung Winarno & Yuli Agustina & Bagus Shandy Narmaditya & Wiwik Wahyuni, 2021. "Strengthening the Icon Management of Kampung Kopi Village in Malang of Indonesia by Improving the Quality of Production and Marketing for Farmers," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 23(1), pages 557-567, September.
    4. Asian, Sobhan & Hafezalkotob, Ashkan & John, Jubin Jacob, 2019. "Sharing economy in organic food supply chains: A pathway to sustainable development," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 322-338.
    5. Evie Smith & Lisa Antoshak & Patrick H. Brown, 2022. "Grounds for Collaboration: A Model for Improving Coffee Sustainability Initiatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-22, May.
    6. Antonella Samoggia & Andrea Fantini, 2023. "Revealing the Governance Dynamics of the Coffee Chain in Colombia: A State-of-the-Art Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-24, September.
    7. Katherine Fuller & Carola Grebitus, 2023. "Consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for coffee sustainability labels," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 1007-1025, October.
    8. Hidalgo, Francisco & Quiñones-Ruiz, Xiomara F. & Birkenberg, Athena & Daum, Thomas & Bosch, Christine & Hirsch, Patrick & Birner, Regina, 2023. "Digitalization, sustainability, and coffee. Opportunities and challenges for agricultural development," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    9. Janina Grabs & Sophia Louise Carodenuto, 2021. "Traders as sustainability governance actors in global food supply chains: A research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1314-1332, February.
    10. German, Laura A. & Bonanno, Anya M. & Foster, Laura Catherine & Cotula, Lorenzo, 2020. "“Inclusive business” in agriculture: Evidence from the evolution of agricultural value chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    11. Ghoshray, Atanu, 2022. "Trends and persistence of farm-gate coffee prices around the world," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321166, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    12. Sylvaine Lemeilleur & Julie Subervie & Anderson Edilson Presoto & Roberta de Castro Souza & Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes, 2020. "Coffee farmers’ motivations to comply with sustainability standards," Post-Print halshs-02278751, HAL.
    13. Lauren Rosenberg & Mark Swilling & Walter J V Vermeulen, 2018. "Practices of Third Wave Coffee: A Burundian Producer's Perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 199-214, February.

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