Focusing on Chain Actor Practices to Improve Post Harvest Product Handling: The Case of the Pineapple Value Chain in South Western Uganda

Abstract

Information gathering and processing often has a great bearing on the decisions and choices value chain actors make to handle an agricultural product in a particular way, at any stage of the value chain. Usually, post-harvest product handling along agricultural value chains is characterized by goal-oriented practices, focused on management of product flow, and innovations in handling the product to meet consumer demands. This paper focuses on the value chain actor at any stage of the chain as the central actor, whose routine practices greatly influence establishment, shaping, and maintenance of the post-harvest handling system. A soft systems approach, employing second order cybernetics was used to better understand pineapple postharvest handling in South Western Uganda, in the frame of facilitating the chain to accrue more satisfactory benefits to the participating chain actors. Pineapple postharvest handling in SW Uganda was found to be arranged along multiple inter-related activity layers, characterized by decision making, goal setting, handling practices, reflexive observation of handling practices outcomes, rule setting for more purposeful product handling and learning. Handling practices were rooted in the chain actor’s interest, aims, role in the chain and were shaped by the operational context in which the value chain is being operated. If any of these changed, the handling practice, its results and benefits also changed.