Supply chains for tropical products

The majority of products involve a number of actors in many different countries. It may be argued that the fewer actors and steps, the easier to acually control the conditions under which the resepective goods are produced. For tropical commodities, it is, however, impossible for many consumers to buy directly from producers, i.e. these supply chains are dependent on at least a few steps. Note, however, that retailers and wholesalers that collaborate more closely or directly with local communities in the tropics, may more easily contribute to socially fair products and environmental friendly production.