Transforming Burundi’s coffee sector through strategic value chain investments

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the early stages of the transition to specialty coffee in Burundi and the role of an agribusiness support program as a catalyst for this transition.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses two years of panel data (2007 and 2012) to analyze changes in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of agribusiness in developing and emerging economies 2017-01, Vol.7 (3), p.218-230
Main Authors: Bro, Aniseh, Clay, Daniel C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agribusiness
Agricultural commodities
Agriculture
Auctions
Bids
Chains
Coffee
Coffee industry
Collective action
Developing countries
Economic growth
Empirical analysis
Farmers
Farms
Food
Incentives
International markets
Investments
LDCs
Liberalization
Marketing
Prices
Privatization
Product lines
Quality
Stations
Technology adoption
Technology assessment
Technology utilization
Terms of sale
Value chain
Value engineering
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Summary:PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the early stages of the transition to specialty coffee in Burundi and the role of an agribusiness support program as a catalyst for this transition.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses two years of panel data (2007 and 2012) to analyze changes in technology adoption among coffee washing stations (CWSs) and how the adoption of improved technologies affects coffee quality.FindingsProgrammatic investment in Burundi's coffee value chain resulted in a significant shift in adoption of processing technologies by CWSs. Producers who processed at these stations saw a significant increase in the quality of their coffee and forged sustainable trade relationships with international buyers.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should investigate the incentives and barriers of producers to invest in production boosting practices.Originality/valueThis is one of the first empirical papers that analyzes Burundi's transition from ordinary to specialty coffee and how programmatic investments in improved technologies has helped to make the change possible.
ISSN:2044-0839
2044-0847
DOI:10.1108/JADEE-11-2015-0053