Improving the sustainability of fruit and vegetable supply chains in Ecuador : The role of organization and coordination

Abstract

and Gre for your friendship and constant willingness to help and support with travel arrangements, financial and administrative issues. You are the best; thanks a lot for the kindness and help in the process of my PhD journey.The fieldwork couldn't have been possible without the support of many people and organizations. Foremost, I would like to thank the many respondents who provided me with data for this research. My sincere thanks go to over 900 hundred farm households patiently participating in the lengthy survey questionnaires. Thank you for welcoming us into your homes and answering our many questions. I interviewed more than 300 informants and supply chain actor at different stages of the Ecuadorian fruit and vegetable chain, who allocated their time and were keen to share valuable information about the sector challenges, daily activities, network and structure of the chain. I interviewed association heads, government officials, academia experts, company managers, and traders. I am very much grateful for your time and the information, and I hope you find your contribution in this dissertation. I also would like to extend sincere thanks to my field team from Technical University of Ambato, who provided me unreserved support during data collection.