The net costs or challenges of this form of
trade can be daunting, however. Despite the
potential for win-win situations in this form
of trade - with consumers gaining access
to exotic and out-of-season products at
affordable prices and growers gaining access
to lucrative markets - the trading relationship
is by no means automatic or easily obtainable.
These costs are at the macro level in the form
of public investments in standards agencies,
upgraded skills required for management in
agronomy and infrastructure development,
and monitoring of trades. They are also
at the micro level through producers and
supply chains ensuring and demonstrating
compliance in the form of investments in
logistics, production, and marketing. In
those cases where international development
benefits can be demonstrated, there are
opportunities to leverage development aid and
technical assistance and other support, which
can reduce total cost burdens, but also have
their own costs through intervention into the
private sector, such as cost escalation. This
poses important questions in terms of longterm
sustainability.