Values-Based Supply Chains: Strategies for Agrifood Enterprises of the Middle

Can Large Retailers Localize Supply Chains? A Case Analysis of the Challenges Facing One Canadian Retailer

“…The value chain model advanced by Stevenson and Pirog (2008) is helpful for understanding why. Derived to meet the unique challenges of local food chains operating at a larger scale, value chains distinguish themselves through four core dimensions: differentiating value-added products; committing to the welfare, particularly financial, of all participants; creating strategic partnerships; and creating trust and shared governance (Bloom & Hinrichs, 2011).…”

“…This is part of the value chain approach (Stevenson & Pirog, 2008) that builds on some aspects of traditional supply chain analysis (such as scale and efficiency), but with the added dimension of values-based production and distribution (in this case localization and its potential benefits).…”

Food Value Chain Development in Central New York: CNY Bounty

“…If customers do not receive their entire order, they can become frustrated, an experience which can reflect poorly on all of the participating farmers and processors. Stevenson and Pirog (2008) emphasize that local food distribution systems must combine product reliability and high-quality production in order to establish trust with consumers and generate re-purchase behaviors. It takes CNY Bounty staff additional time to communicate with Amish farmers, as they generally do not use computers or fax machines and many do not have telephones.…”

Fair Labor Practices in Values-Based Agrifood Supply Chains?

“…This question motivated us to review case studies of exemplary VBSC enterprises documented in the USDA agriculture-of-themiddle regional research project (see http://www.agofthemiddle.org). While much of the AOTM case study literature highlights the collective responsibility of supply chain actors to implement and maintain values-based standards, third-party certification is advocated as a quality assurance mechanism (Stevenson & Pirog, 2008). As Brown and Getz (2008) point out, certification systems have proliferated in the past decade as mechanisms for strengthening transparency in fair trade and other alternative agricultural product chains that claim adherence to particular product standards (e.g., quality, environmental sustainability, social accountability, etc.).…”

“…Examples of VBSC values priorities include unadulterated (reduced chemical and antibiotic input), "natural," or organically produced foodstuffs; environmentally and ecologically sustainable production practices; humane animal treatment; relational buying and selling (where consumers know where their food comes from and how it is produced); and local/regional provenance of foodstuffs with its positive cultural (e.g., place identity), ecological (e.g., limited food miles), and local/regional economic development promotion implications. In one of the foundational statements of VBSC business principles, fair labor practices for workers are also identified as aspirational values (Stevenson & Pirog, 2008).…”