Abstract

Improving non-traditional agricultural product quality is challenging for smallholder farmers in developing countries since they often lack the resources and an adequate enabling institutional environment. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper develops an analytical framework identifying factors influencing the improvement of quality and the underlying institutions influencing these factors in order to have a global view on institutions influencing product quality. The framework is then applied to the pineapple sector in Benin. Our interviews and survey of pineapple producers bring further important elements to our understanding of institutional constraints affecting quality enhancement. The frame work developed constitutes analytical tool to locate possible farmer institutional constraints.

Key words: Quality, institutions, value chains, pineapple, Benin, Sub-Saharan Africa.