Quality and innovation in food chains : lessons and insights from Africa

Improving product quality has become essential for food chains in developing countries. Quality and innovation in food chains: lessons from Africa presents a set of case studies on food quality improvement and innovation in African food chains, with cases from South Africa, Ethiopia, Benin, Uganda and Senegal. The book is based on interdisciplinary collaborative research projects. An interdisciplinary approach leads to better insights in the opportunities and constraints for quality improvement, and helps public and private actors in seizing the opportunities and removing the constraints. This publication shows how a co-innovation perspective can be developed and applied. Co-innovation entails the combination of technical, organisational and institutional changes, the involvement of various chain actors, and the introduction of complementary innovations at different levels of the food chain. Quality and innovation in food chains: lessons from Africa is an essential read for anyone involved in studying, supporting and implementing quality improvements and innovations in food chains. Table of contents -- Preface -- 1. Quality improvement in food value chains: searching for integrated solutions -- Abstract -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Defining food quality -- 1.3 Different perspectives of food chain analysis -- 1.4 Market access and the debate around the impact of quality standards -- 1.5 From innovation to co-innovation -- 1.6 Outline of the book -- References -- 2. Linking smallholder farmers to high quality food chains: appraising institutional arrangements -- Abstract -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Institutional constraints to quality improvement. - 2.3 Evaluating institutional arrangements from a quality improvement perspective -- 2.4 Interactions among and combinations of the different institutional arrangements -- 2.5 Conclusions and policy implications -- References -- 3. Quality challenges and opportunities in the pineapple supply chain in Benin -- Abstract -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Quality issues along the pineapple value chain -- 3.3. Opportunities for quality improvement -- 3.4 Conclusions -- References -- Appendix 3.1. Global SWOT analysis of pineapple value chains. - Appendix 3.2. Constraints along the pineapple value chain and recommended solutions -- 4. Willingness to pay for market information received by mobile phone among smallholder pineapple f -- Abstract -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Overview of pineapple supply chains in Benin -- 4.3 Data collection and methods -- 4.4 Mobile phone-based market information system experiences in Ghana: Esoko case study -- 4.5 Information asymmetry and importance of mobile phone use by smallholder pineapple farmers in Benin -- 4.6 Farmers' willingness to pay for a mobile-based market information system in Benin