Geoffrey Hagelaar

Environmental supply chain management: using life cycle assessment to structure supply chains

In recent years increasing attention has been given to environmental supply chain management (ESCM). One of the supporting instruments of ESCM is life cycle assessment (LCA). The idea of integrating LCA into supply chains is gaining more support among research institutes and companies. However, we conclude that there are no guidelines for this integration. In this paper we argue that inline with a differentiation between environmental care chain strategies and environmental chain performances, a differentiation between types of LCAs should be made; i.e., between compliance-, process- and market-oriented LCAs. To execute these different types of LCAs, the chain structure should be attuned to meet the specific requirements of these types. By discussing case studies, we show that the integration of the different types of LCAs in a chain bring about different chain structures.

Marketing Channel Selection by Smallholder Farmers

This article aims at analyzing Beninese smallholder famers’ selection of high value markets, such as export and processing-oriented marketing channels, in the pineapple supply chain. Four main marketing channels were investigated: rural, urban, and export fresh pineapple markets and processing-oriented markets. Primary data collected from 285 pineapple farmers through a field survey in different locations in South Benin were used to analyze simultaneous selection of multiple channels. A multivariate probit approach has been used in our empirical strategy. Farmers’ characteristics, production systems features, quality attributes, and types of marketing context have been used as main explanatory variables. Results indicate the Beninese pineapple farmers select market channels with high values when they have the expertise and know-how for coping and complying with quality issues.