PARTNERSHIPS, TRUST AND RESPONSIBILITY

The key to sustaining the development of the export horticulture industry is partnership. Where the buyer/exporter depends on smallholder producers for crops and the smallholders depend on the buyer/exporter for market outlet and household income, the problems of establishing sustainable trading links can be overcome, so long as both parties recognize their inter-dependence. The same applies to complementarity between supermarkets, importers and exporters. The key to building long-term partnerships is trust between people at every stage in the supply chain. The various factors affecting trust and responsibility are dealt with in Selecting Linkages Partners, Specifying partners' roles, Designing Buyer-Seller Contracts and Designing Product Pricing Systems.

As well as key partnerships within the chain, a successful business needs to demonstrate responsibility to all other interest groups involved - the workers, the local communities near the farm or pack-house, the wider society, other businesses such as transporters, consumers and shareholders in companies which have interests at any position in the supply chain. Some of these issues are examined in Non-Quantifiable Outcomes