Beyond the vertical? Using value chains and governance as a framework to analyse private standards initiatives in agri-food chains

Abstract

The significance of private standards and associated local level initiatives in agri-food value chains are increasingly recognised. However whilst issues related to compliance and impact at the smallholder or worker level have frequently been analysed, the governance implications in terms of how private standards affect national level institutions, public, private and non-governmental, have had less attention. This article applies an extended value chain framework for critical analysis of Private Standards Initiatives (PSIs) in agrifood chains, drawing on primary research on PSIs operating in Kenyan horticulture (Horticulture Ethical Business Initiative and KenyaGAP). The paper explores the legislative, executive and judicial aspects of governance in these southern PSIs highlighting how different stakeholders shape debates and act with agency. It is argued that governance is exercised ‘beyond the vertical’ in that one can identify wider horizontal processes of governance, including how the scope of key debates is constructed (especially in legislative governance) but analysis of executive governance emphasises the dominant role of the lead buyers

Pathways to empowerment?: dynamics of women's participation in Global Value Chains

“…Our analysis does not suggest a causal relationship between specific strategies and policies implemented by the management of these two companies and empowerment, but we would argue that they have nonetheless created an environment at the farm level that is conducive to the empowerment of women workers (in particular through paying higher than average wages, tackling issues such as sexual harassment and health and safety issues within the workplace, as well as giving workers stable employment). Moreover, some practices such as the gender committees have evolved as a result of horizontal governance processes within the value chain, specifically for floriculture where the KFC code calls for the introduction of these committees (Tallontire, et al, 2011) and which company A has now adopted in tea.…”

Governance challenges of cocoa partnership projects in Indonesia: seeking synergy in multi-stakeholder arrangements for sustainable agriculture

“…In governance literature these challenges are often debated as potential strategic dilemmas in the search for synergies that would allow the management of long-term systemic changes (see also Boons et al 2012;Bush et al 2014;Tallontire et al 2011).…”

Can public GAP standards reduce agricultural pesticide use? The case of fruit and vegetable farming in northern Thailand

“…Our study is of particular relevance as it helps us understand the degree to which public standards could be a viable alternative to private standards such as GlobalGAP-a standard developed by a consortium of European retailers, which has become the leading GAP standard globally (Humphrey 2006;Tallontire et al 2011). Although some studies have shown that the use of private standards in developing countries increases farm incomes and lowers pesticide-related health costs (e.g., Okello and Swinton 2010), the majority of studies have been rather critical.…”