Reconfiguring Vegetable Supply Chains in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges of Farm-to-Consumer Marketing in a Developing-Economy Context

Abstract

Conventional vegetable supply chains in Pakistan rely heavily on intermediaries, limiting farmer bargaining power, price transparency, and market access while contributing to post-harvest losses. Farm-to-consumer (F2C) models offer a potential alternative by shortening supply chains and connecting producers directly with households, institutional buyers, and digital markets. This study examines the opportunities and challenges of F2C vegetable supply chains in Pakistan using a qualitative exploratory design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected stakeholders, including farmers, academics, government officials, supply-chain and logistics professionals, marketing and IT specialists, a farmers’ association representative, and potential consumers. Interview data were transcribed, translated where required, and thematically analysed using NVivo. Eight interrelated themes emerged: intermediary dependence and market structure; economic viability; infrastructure and post-harvest constraints; digital readiness; consumer trust; corporate and institutional markets; government and policy support; and sustainability through hybrid models. Findings indicate that F2C models can improve market access and farmer returns, but disintermediation alone does not ensure supply-chain efficiency. Weak cold-chain infrastructure, high transport costs, limited digital literacy, trust deficits, and inadequate institutional support remain key barriers. Corporate and institutional buyers may provide a more viable entry point than fragmented household markets. The study therefore advocates a phased, hybrid F2C model integrating farmer cooperatives, digital platforms, logistics providers, institutional buyers, and targeted public-sector support rather than the complete removal of intermediaries. This approach offers a more context-sensitive pathway toward efficient, inclusive, and sustainable vegetable supply chains in Pakistan.

Keywords: digital agriculture; farm-to-consumer; intermediaries; Pakistan; short food supply chains; smallholder farmers; supply-chain resilience; vegetable marketing

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22032425