L'organisation des Marchés de producteurs de fruits et légumes biologiques à Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Consumption of certified products is no longer the privilege of developed countries. In Kenya, the first organic markets appeared in 2006 in Nairobi. They were supplied by vegetable growers, facing different challenges: Building a credible organic certification, maintaining products' freshness and dealing with the heterogeneity of consumers' expectations. Based on survey data and the transaction costs analytical framework, we analyze Kenyan organic markets between 2006 and 2013. We show that if the collective certification of producers enabled the creation of initial markets, the gradual abandonment of certification was not synonymous with the collapse of transactions. Actually, the organization of producers, which is "quasi-integrated", allowed for an efficient coordination with markets, helping to build a rent that the producers try to protect. On the other hand, interpersonal relations between producers and consumers resulting from direct sales, ensured the continuation of transactions despite the end of the certification and the related increasing uncertainty.