Smallholder Preferences for Choosing Supply Chains and Output Contracts: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment

Chandra Nuthalapati, Shree Saha and Mulla Areef

No 360604, 2025 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2025, Denver, CO from Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Abstract: This paper presents findings from two discrete choice experiments conducted among 836 vegetable growers across four Indian states during 2020-2021. The study aimed to elucidate farmers’ preferences within evolving food supply chains, particularly amidst the supermarket revolution. The first experiment focused on farmers’ supply chain preferences, and we found interesting results, revealing no preference for a specific place of sale, but rather a preference for credit and input support, while showing a significant aversion to delayed payment methods. The second experiment investigated their contract preferences in modern food supply chains, highlighting nuanced preferences for contract terms that minimize financial and legal risks, as well as favor pricing mechanisms that ensure a minimum base price with quality incentives. Demographic factors, initially influential, exhibited varying impacts across different models, highlighting the complex dynamics that shape farmers' decisions. Understanding these preferences is crucial for shaping effective policies and strategies that enhance market access, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and contribute to global food security and economic development.

Keywords: Agricultural; and; Food; Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aaea25:360604

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.360604

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