Supply chain for the sustainability of beekeepers in the state of Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

The search for food sovereignty led the Mexican government to implement strategies to encourage local production and consumption. There are, however, products that, despite their quality, present obstacles in their distribution and direct sale or leave little or no profit margin for producers. Understanding and improving the supply chain helps improve this situation. Honey producers in the country face this problem due to the presence of intermediaries and unfair competition from imported products of lower quality and price. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the internal and external factors that affect the beekeeping supply chain in Jalisco to identify the type of strategies that contribute to overcoming current problems. To do this, a 5-stage methodology is applied: 1) definition of the research question; 2) design of measuring instruments and surveys; 3) application of instruments through the non-probabilistic snowball sampling technique; 4) data analysis; and 5) determination of relevance of the research. The results show the need to define appropriate production and marketing strategies to strengthen organizations and horizontally and vertically integrate the supply chain. Among the conclusions, the need to improve product income stands out through cooperation or configuration of short supply chains, creation of institutions and standardization of comprehensive hive management practices.