Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify chain coordinators and to explore their roles. The paper also highlights certain advantages of coordination, specific competencies of the coordinators, and challenges in the coordination.Design/methodology/approach: This is a case study research. The data were collected through interviews, observations, and personal experiences of working as a logistics manager and a project manager in the 2005 South Asian earthquake.Findings: The coordinated organizations manage a number of complex relationships to respond to the disasters effectively and efficiently. An umbrella organization plays a chain coordinator role in horizontal coordination. The umbrella organization leads, directs, and makes major decisions. A country director/programme manager acts as a strategic coordinator in vertical coordination. However, logistics managers, procurement managers and project managers (operations coordinators) also handle coordination activities. The coordinators’ tangible (finance, technology, and people) and intangible (leadership, extra efforts, relevant experiences and education, relationship management skills, research abilities, and performance measurement skills) assets are the key determinants of chain‐coordination success. The success of coordination is achieved if these characteristics of the coordinators are effectively matched with the unpredictable nature of humanitarian relief chains. However, coordination does not guarantee success in all situations because organizations may face coordination challenges such as cultural and structural differences.Research limitations/implications: This paper provides specific and detailed information from the selected humanitarian relief chains of the South Asian earthquake 2005. The paper explores the useful and enhanced understanding of fundamentals to achieve the success of coordination in the chains. Therefore, it is an endeavour to enable a better practical strategy for chain coordinators/managers.Originality/value: The conceptual and empirical research on the characteristics of chain coordinators and their impact on coordination success is very limited. This paper provides new thoughts to investigate relationships between the characteristics of chain coordinators or coordination and the success of humanitarian relief chains.

The expansion of modern markets has significant implications for agriculture in many developing countries that provides both opportunities and challenges for smallholder farmers. The purpose of this paper is to analyse key determinants affecting farmers’ participation in high value markets, compared to traditional market. Face to face interviews based on a questionnaire were conducted with a sample of 126 smallholder vegetable farmers in the Manokwari region. Binary logistic regression and bivariate correlation analysis were used in this study. The results suggested that age, education level, vegetables cultivated area and membership in farmer groups/cooperatives were the key determinants that had significant effects on the smallholder farmers’ decision about marketing channel participation. In addition, the income generated from vegetable farming was positively correlated to high value market participation. Some implications that need to be prioritized in agricultural development strategies include improving technical innovations and empowering collective actions through cooperatives or farmer groups.

To service high-value international markets, many agrifood value chains in developing countries are required to transform to meet the strict quality and safety standards. This transformation process has become further complicated by increased sustainability expectations. The key players in these countries, typically smallholders, are struggling to meet this new sustainability value focus. Economic drivers pervade in this context, whilst the lack of integration often decouples producers from the end market. To address these challenges, this paper develops a framework to enable sustainable agrifood value chain transformation in developing countries. A narrative review was used to analyse the major enablers and barriers in sustainable agrifood value chain transformation specifically in developing countries. The framework novelty lies in the synthesis and prioritisation of transformations actions, by integrating three central dimensions: sustainability, governance, and value addition. The incorporation of sustainability drivers into value chain governance provides a holistic approach that balances profit maximization with social and environmental impacts, thus enabling smallholders in developing countries to access higher value markets. The framework can assist these value chain actors in identifying their transformation trajectory and guide policymakers, along with the public sector, in prioritising their intervention to overcome barriers.

Enhancing smallholder farmers’ access to reliable, ready, and direct marketing channels is a prerequisite for sustainable food supply and poverty reduction in the developing countries including Ghana. However, it is a great challenge for smallholder farmers to access direct marketing channels in Ghana. This paper analyzes the factors that influence smallholder rice farmers’ participation, and the intensity of participation, in direct marketing channels using primary data from 199 farmers in three rice-growing districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. A double hurdle model was used in the empirical analysis. The study findings show that a lower percentage of farmers sold their rice output to processors (direct marketing). Farm size, the price of rice output per 85 kg bag, access to market information, and access to credit increased farmers’ participation in direct marketing channels, whereas payment period and ownership of a bicycle reduced their participation. The study concludes that improving farmers’ access to market information and credit availability would enhance participation in direct marketing channels.

Pakistan is producing more than 30 types of different fruits of which citrus fruit is leading among all fruit and constitutes about 30% of total fruit production in the country. Above 90% of citrus fruits are produced in Punjab province and distributed through different value chains in domestic as well as in international markets. A large part of citrus fruit produced in Pakistan is mostly consumed locally without much value addition; however, 10–12% of total production is exported after value addition. The value chains are very diverse, and a number of different players actively participate in these chains, which ultimately decide the destination of citrus fruit in these supply chain(s). Knowing all these facts, the main aim of this research is to identify different value chains of citrus fruit (Kinnow) in Pakistan and also to identify and discuss the role and function of different value chain players in the citrus industry in Pakistan. A survey involving of different players of Pakistan’s citrus industry was conducted in 2013–2014 to better understand the citrus value chain(s). Using a convenience sampling technique, a total of 245 respondents were interviewed during a period of 4–5 months from three leading citrus-producing districts. It was found that citrus value chains can be classified into two major types: unprocessed citrus value chain and processed citrus value chains. It was also found that in the past, a large number of citrus growers were involved in preharvest contracting for their orchards and only a small number of citrus growers sold their orchards directly into local and foreign markets. The proportion has been gradually changed now and growers are becoming progressive and more market oriented.