Grainger VIP Impact Report

the world. In recent years, researchers have increasingly been exploring how to adapt techniques used to improve operations and supply chains in developed economies to the unique problems, incentives, and constraints that arise in less-developed areas. My initial focus will be on small growers and farmers who grow food for their family as well as crops for regional and international markets. The agricultural practices these farmers use and their ability to generate reliable income are influenced by many factors (weather and other risks; access to knowledge, capital, and markets; community and societal norms; etc.) and depend on the incentives and actions of a variety of players (local and national governments, farmer co-op groups, multinational corporate customers, market middlemen, banks and other financing sources, etc.). As one example, I see the potential to apply some ideas from my earlier research on innovative supply chain contract structures to these small-grower supply chains. By identifying incentives of the various players, it may be possible to redefine contractual relationships (how and when payments are made, who bears risk, etc.) in a way that improves grower welfare, increases customer access to high-value products, and reduces the environmental impacts of the agricultural operations. I’m currently working with an international organization that works directly with such growers to develop projects of this type that seem most promising to pursue.

Greg DeCroix Grainger Professor of Supply Chain Management Operations and Information Management Academic Director

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