Based on a field survey amongst 51 different agents involved
in the mango chain from Costa Rica, information regarding
production technologies, agroecological conditions, management
intensity, quality control, contracting practices and
marketing operations is collected. We also tested randomly
10 mangoes from each agent to analyze the variability in
quality attributes, focusing on the ratio between Brix and pH.
We find that quality heterogeneity is influenced both by
technological variability and by socio-economic diversity. In
the mango supply chain from Costa Rica, management differences
amongst agents vary depending on the upstream and
downstream relationships. Agents related to international
traders tend to maintain lowest variability in their management
practices in order to be able to respond better to consumer demands.
Effective linkages with downstream agents are thus
critical to guarantee appropriate incentives for managing quality
in upstream segments.