Transforming the region: Supermarkets and the local food economy

African Affairs

Volumn 109, Issue 434, 2009, Pages 115-134

  Abrahams, Caryn ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

FOOD MARKET; INFORMAL SECTOR; INVESTMENT; MARKET TRANSITION; POLITICAL ECONOMY; RETAILING;

LUSAKA [ZAMBIA]; ZAMBIA;

EID: 77749341281     PISSN: 00019909     EISSN: 14682621     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/afraf/adp068     Document Type: Article

References (68)

1. Dave D. Weatherspoon and Thomas Reardon, 'The rise of supermarkets in Africa: implications for agrifood systems and the rural poor', Development Policy Review 21, 3 (2003), pp. 333-55.
2. Thomas Reardon and Julio. A. Berdegué, 'The rapid rise of supermarkets in Latin America: challenges and opportunities for development', Development Policy Review 20, 4 (2002), pp. 371-88.
3. Sergio Faiguenbaum, Julio A. Berdegué and Thomas Reardon, 'The rapid rise of supermarkets in Chile: effects on dairy, vegetable and beef chains', Development Policy Review 20, 4 (2002), pp. 459-71.
4. Graciela Ghezán, Monica Mateos, and Laura Viteri, 'Impacts of supermarkets and fast food chains on horticulture supply chains in Argentina', Development Policy Review 20, 4 (2002), pp. 389-408.
5. In this article, supermarkets are defined as branded formal retailers. The definition includes both larger wholesale outlets attached to retailers and hypermarkets. This means that different nodes along the supply chain - from producer to retailer, such as manufacturing, marketing, and processing - are now owned and controlled by retailers.
6. 'Kenya's largest retail chain goes continental', AfrikNews, 25 August 2008. (7 October 2009).
7. Shoprite Holdings, (7 October 2009).
8. Thomas Reardon, Spencer Henson, and Julio Bèrdegue, '" Proactive fast-tracking" diffusion of supermarkets in developing countries: implications for market institutions and trade', Journal of Economic Geography 7, 3 (2007), pp. 399-431.
9. John Wilkinson, 'The food processing industry, globalization and developing countries' in Ellen B. McCullough, Prabhu L. Pingali, and Kostas G. Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agriculture-Food Systems: Globalization, supply chains and smallholder farmers (Earthscan and FAO, UK, 2008), pp. 87-108, p. 87.
10. Hostility toward Nakumatt stores is less evident both because of Nakumatt's limited expansion and its cautious sourcing practices
11. Katherine Roubos, 'Local farmers losing out to foreign suppliers', The Monitor, 10 July 2007, (7 October 2009).
12. Darlene Miller, 'Food frontiers in Zambia: resistance and partnership in Shoprite's retail empire', Africa Files eZine 8, 3 (in series 'South Africa in Africa') (2008), see (7 October 2009).
13. 'Retail chains accused of shunning local producers', IRIN News, 23 October 2006, (7 October 2009).
14. See 'Hurry up, Shoprite warns producers' (interview with Shoprite CEO by T. Robbins), Business Report, 6 July 2007, (7 October 2009).
15. See Hyde Haantuba and Jacques de Graaf, 'Linkages between smallholder farmers and supermarkets: lessons from Zambia' in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agriculture-Food Systems, pp. 207-23.
16. See C. Peter Timmer, 'Food policy in the era of supermarkets: what's different?' in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agriculture-Food Systems, pp. 67-86.
17. See John Humphrey, 'The supermarket revolution in developing countries: tidal wave of tough competitive struggle?', Journal of Economic Geography 7, 3 (2007), pp. 433-50.
18. Since the 1930s, North American and British supermarkets have grown through economic policy that fostered rapid expansion, consolidation, and the investment strength that would inevitably drive out competition. The demise of the 'traditional' food economy in these contexts is related to purposeful economic policy mechanisms that encourage the growth of capitalist firms.
19. See N. Wrigley and M. Lowe, Reading Retail: A geographical perspective on retailing and consumption spaces (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002), pp. 7-160.
20. Weatherspoon and Reardon, 'The rise of supermarkets in Africa'
21. See Ana Monteiro and Nolulamo Matutu, 'Shoprite will "sacrifice profits"', Fin24, 18 February 2009, (7 October 2009).
22. Weatherspoon and Reardon draw these figures from consultancy research by KenyaWeb.
23. See Reardon, Henson, and Berdegué, '"Proactive fast-tracking" diffusion of supermarkets'
24. Timmer, 'Food policy in the era of supermarkets', p. 77.
25. David Neven and Thomas Reardon, 'The rapid rise of Kenyan supermarkets' and Thomas Reardon, C. Peter Timmer, and Julio Berdegué, 'The rapid rise of supermarkets in developing countries: induced organizational, institutional and technological change in agrifood systems', both in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agri-Food Systems, pp. 189-206; pp. 47-66.
26. Thomas Reardon, C. Peter Timmer, and Julio Berdegué, 'The rapid rise of supermarkets in developing countries: induced organizational, institutional and technological change in agrifood systems', both in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agri-Food Systems, pp. 189-206; pp. 47-66.
27. 'Investors tip Africa as the "last emerging market"' (interview with Jonathan Asante by Tim Sharp, Reuters UK, 26 February 2007), (7 October 2009).
28. Weatherspoon and Reardon, 'The rise of supermarkets in Africa'
29. 'Investors tip Africa as the "last emerging market"'.
30. Miller, 'Food frontiers in Zambia'
31. Interview, Charles Bota, head of Shoprite Zambia, Lusaka, 23 November 2008.
32. Reardon, Henson, and Berdegué, '"Proactive fast-tracking" diffusion of supermarkets', p. 402.
33. Interview, official in Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Lusaka, 12 October 2007.
34. Weatherspoon and Reardon, 'The rise of supermarkets in Africa'.
35. Ghezán, Mateos and Viteri, 'Impacts of supermarkets and fast food chains'.
36. Charles Mather, 'The growth challenges of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa's food processing complex', Development Southern Africa 22, 5 (2005), pp. 607-22.
37. Ellen B. McCullough, Prabhu L. Pingali, and Kostas G. Stamoulis, 'Small farms and the transformation of food systems: an overview' in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agriculture-Food Systems, p. 16.
38. See Karen Tranberg Hansen, 'Who rules the streets? The politics of vending space in Lusaka' in K. T. Hansen and M. Vaa (eds), Reconsidering Informality: Perspectives from urban Africa (Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, 2004), pp. 62-80.
39. Thomas S. Jayne, 'Forces of change affecting African food markets: implications for public policy' in McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis (eds), The Transformation of Agriculture-Food Systems, pp. 109-39.
40. James Ferguson, Expectations of Modernity: Myths and meanings of urban life of the Zambian Copperbelt (University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 1999), p. 4.
41. See McCullough, Pingali, and Stamoulis, 'Small farms and the transformation of food systems'.
42. Miller, 'Food frontiers in Zambia'.
43. Elizabeth Kennedy, 'Move over, Shoprite: Kenya retailer wants room to grow', Associated Press, 6 June 2008.
44. Interview, Gerhard Fritz, head of Shoprite's operations in Africa outside South Africa, Cape Town, 19 January 2007.
45. Timmer, 'Food policy in the era of supermarkets'
46. See Haantuba and de Graaf, 'Linkages between smallholder farmers and supermarkets'
47. Jayne, 'Forces of change affecting African food markets' p. 109. Emphasis added.
48. A UK-funded project, Regoverning Markets, has its specific focus on linking farmers to high-value processing and retail chains
49. (see André Louw and Rosemary Emongor, 'Regoverning markets: securing small producer participation in restructured national and regional agri-food systems' (Report 1, Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, 2004), pp. 1-78. The outputs of the project, however, critique the myopia of this initial assertion, and stress the importance of domestic markets and entrepreneurs.
50. See Jayne, 'Forces of change affecting African food markets', p. 109.
51. Hansen, 'Who rules the streets?', p. 77.
52. 'The Markets and Bus Station Act, No. 7, 2007' (Lusaka Municipal Government, Government Printers, Church Road, Lusaka, 12 April 2007), pp. 157-80.
53. Interview, Justin Kachingwe, manager of Lusaka City Market, Lusaka, 14 July 2007.
54. Henry Kyambalesa, party presidential address, AfC Party, 2007, (7 October 2009).
55. Personal communication, Ben Zulu, manager of the Soweto Market, Lusaka, 14 November 2007.
56. Interview, Justin Kachingwe, manager of LCM, Lusaka, 21 November 2007.
57. See Nicholas Hooton and Amos Omore, 'Innovative policy Kenya: Kenya policy innovations in small-scale milk markets in Kenya and East Africa' in Regoverning Markets (2008), (7 October 2009).
58. Minten, 'The food retail revolution in poor countries', p. 22.
59. David Tschirley, Milton Ayieko, Mary Mathenge, and Michael T. Weber, 'Where do consumers in Nairobi purchase their food and why does this matter? The need for investment to improve Kenya's "traditional" food marketing system' (International Development Collaborative Policy Briefs No. KE-TEGEMEO-PB-03, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University), < http://www.aec.msu.edu/fs2/kenya/pb03.pdf> (7 October 2009).
60. Haantuba and de Graaf, 'Linkages between smallholder farmers and supermarkets'.
61. Interview, Charles Bota, CEO of Shoprite Zambia, Lusaka, 12 July 2007.
62. CSO, 'The Monthly: First Release', Volume 1 (Central Statistical Office, Lusaka, 2003).
63. Abrahams, 'Globally useful conceptions of alternative food networks in the developing south: the case of Johannesburg's urban food supply system' in Damian Maye, Lewis Holloway, and Moya Kneafsey (eds), Alternative Food Geographies: Representation and practice (Routledge, Amsterdam, 2007), pp. 95-114.
64. Jayne, 'Forces of change affecting African food markets', p. 129.
65. Bridgette Kenny and Charles Mather, 'Milking the region: South African capital and Zambia's dairy industry', Africa Files eZine 8, 4 (South Africa in Africa Series, 2008), (7 October 2009).
66. Interview, Trevor Simumba, Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Lusaka, 16 November 2007.
67. Interview, Justin Kachingwe, manager of LCM, Lusaka, 21 November 2007