Incorporating producer opinions into a SWOT analysis of the U.S. tart cherry industry

Abstract

While SWOT analysis is common in strategic management, the academic literature rarely incorporates responses and opinions held by those within the industry of interest. This article contributes to the agribusiness literature by identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the tart cherry industry and surveying stakeholders to integrate their feedback into the analysis. Results indicate that producer views on the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the tart cherry industry are heterogeneous. Results also suggest that growers perceive consumer interest towards nutritional/healthy and natural food products as the main opportunity for the tart cherry industry, while imports are considered the biggest threat.