The use of mobile communication in the marketing of foodstuffs in CôTe d’Ivoire

Abstract

This paper examines the use and non-use of mobile communication in the food distribution system of Côte d’Ivoire. We examine how this mediation forms in the existing systems for producing, transporting and marketing of food by women in that country. We base the analysis on five focus groups and 51 interviews carried out between May 2012 and February 2013. We find that mobile communication allows for more responsive and flexible planning on the part of large-and small-scale wholesalers. They are able to use it to manage and adjust the delivery of products to different retailers as surpluses and shortages develop. We also find that the mobile phone is not used by some producers since there are well-established systems for the marketing of their products that preclude the need for mobile communication.