Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh
The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past 30 years has been accompanied by a proliferation of wholesalers. Wholesalers are often assumed in academic and public discourse to be exploitative and inefficient: extracting rents rather than driving technological change. This view gives r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Springer
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178276 |
| _version_ | 1855541410418130944 |
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| author | Ali, Hazrat Belton, Ben Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul Hernandez, Ricardo Khondker, Murshed-E-Jahan Ignowski, Elizabeth Reardon, Thomas |
| author_browse | Ali, Hazrat Belton, Ben Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul Hernandez, Ricardo Ignowski, Elizabeth Khondker, Murshed-E-Jahan Reardon, Thomas |
| author_facet | Ali, Hazrat Belton, Ben Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul Hernandez, Ricardo Khondker, Murshed-E-Jahan Ignowski, Elizabeth Reardon, Thomas |
| author_sort | Ali, Hazrat |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past 30 years has been accompanied by a proliferation of wholesalers. Wholesalers are often assumed in academic and public discourse to be exploitative and inefficient: extracting rents rather than driving technological change. This view gives rise to development programs that seek to bypass marketing intermediaries or upgrade their practices. However, there has been little rigorous research on the behavior of wholesalers and its implications for outcomes of value chain performance, including food security. To address this gap, we implemented a statistically representative survey of 229 aquatic food wholesalers in 31 markets in one of Bangladesh’s most important aquaculture zones. We found the following. (1) The wholesale segment of the aquaculture value chain has grown rapidly. (2) Markets are increasingly competitive, with open auctions leading to disintermediation and transparent pricing. (3) Wholesale businesses operate on thin margins. (4) Very little food loss or waste occurs in the farm, wholesale, or retail value chain segments in the study zone. (5) Trading aquaculture products generates substantial employment for men but little for women. Contrary to popular belief, the midstream of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh is dynamic and efficient. The paper contributes to a growing literature highlighting the contributions that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the “hidden middle” segments of agri-food value chains make to food security. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace178276 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Springer |
| publisherStr | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1782762025-12-13T02:15:56Z Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh Ali, Hazrat Belton, Ben Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul Hernandez, Ricardo Khondker, Murshed-E-Jahan Ignowski, Elizabeth Reardon, Thomas bangladesh fish fish shrimp wholesalers value chain midstream The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past 30 years has been accompanied by a proliferation of wholesalers. Wholesalers are often assumed in academic and public discourse to be exploitative and inefficient: extracting rents rather than driving technological change. This view gives rise to development programs that seek to bypass marketing intermediaries or upgrade their practices. However, there has been little rigorous research on the behavior of wholesalers and its implications for outcomes of value chain performance, including food security. To address this gap, we implemented a statistically representative survey of 229 aquatic food wholesalers in 31 markets in one of Bangladesh’s most important aquaculture zones. We found the following. (1) The wholesale segment of the aquaculture value chain has grown rapidly. (2) Markets are increasingly competitive, with open auctions leading to disintermediation and transparent pricing. (3) Wholesale businesses operate on thin margins. (4) Very little food loss or waste occurs in the farm, wholesale, or retail value chain segments in the study zone. (5) Trading aquaculture products generates substantial employment for men but little for women. Contrary to popular belief, the midstream of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh is dynamic and efficient. The paper contributes to a growing literature highlighting the contributions that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the “hidden middle” segments of agri-food value chains make to food security. 2025-11-26T15:16:15Z 2025-11-26T15:16:15Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178276 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Hazrat Ali, Ben Belton, Mohammad Mahfujul Haque, Ricardo Hernandez, Murshed-E-Jahan Khondker, Elizabeth Ignowski, Thomas Reardon. (4/11/2025). Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh. Food Security, 17 (5). |
| spellingShingle | bangladesh fish fish shrimp wholesalers value chain midstream Ali, Hazrat Belton, Ben Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul Hernandez, Ricardo Khondker, Murshed-E-Jahan Ignowski, Elizabeth Reardon, Thomas Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title | Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_full | Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_short | Wholesalers and the transformation of the “hidden middle” of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh |
| title_sort | wholesalers and the transformation of the hidden middle of the aquaculture value chain in bangladesh |
| topic | bangladesh fish fish shrimp wholesalers value chain midstream |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178276 |
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