Regional communities

Insight into regional economies

Research Papers

Sep
2020

Can cooperative business models coordinate horizontal and vertical supply chains? A case study in the Australian pineapple industry

This study aims to explore the potential for cooperative models to solve current challenges in Australian agriculture. This study also examines the business sustainability of a hybrid cooperative business model and its determinants drawing on an analysis of a pineapple supply chain in Queensland. For this purpose, a cooperative business, Tropical Pines Pty Ltd (Tropical Pines), is used as a case study as it is a hybrid cooperative-business model that successfully coordinates production and marketing across Australia. This research uses a qualitative research approach, thematic content analysis, to identify key lessons about the operation of Tropical Pines. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, 12 individuals representing different stages of pineapple supply chain actors were interviewed and the material was then analysed.

Authors: Delwar Akbar, John Rolfe, Azad Rahman and Darshana Rajapaksa

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