Factors limiting the flow of food innovation ideas from modern food retailers to local food suppliers in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper explores factors that constrain the flow of innovation ideas among downstream actors in the food value chain in Tanzania. Prior focus was on the improvement of products, but the influence of downstream actors has received little attention from the researchers in Africa. Qualitative method was deemed to be adequate and advantageous because the study was on understanding the challenges of innovation flow among downstream actors in the food value chain in Tanzania. Food suppliers were selected from international or local retailers using contact information of the processers provided on the packaging. The empirical findings of this study indicate that trade credit, government requirements, counterfeit products, consumers’ preference and lack of skilled staff limit the flow of innovation in the food value chain in Tanzania.

Keywords:

• Tanzania
• food innovation
• retailers
• food processors
• diffusion of innovation theory
• down stream

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Felix Adamu Nandonde is a Lecturer in Marketing, at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. He holds PhD from Aalborg University in Denmark, an MSc from Newcastle University-upon Tyne, UK and Bachelor of Business Administration from Mzumbe University, Tanzania. His research interest is on retail management in Africa.