Case Study

Promoting Sustainable Products in Dry Consumer Packaged Goods: What Should a Grocer Do?

Michael A. Boland(a), Xiaowei Zhang(a)
(a)University of Minnesota

JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A22, Q13
Keywords: Agribusiness, coffee, fair trade, food, grocery, retail supermarket

Publish Date: May 22, 2024

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Abstract

The objective of the decision case study is to make a recommendation on whether to introduce a new product into the planogram of an independent retail grocery chain that does not have a formal sustainability strategy. The decision maker is the chief operating officer of the retail grocery chain. The product is a fair trade-certified coffee produced by Equal Exchange, a worker cooperative. Information is presented about the retail grocery chain, an overview of fair trade, a description of Equal Exchange, and background reading on the coffee supply chain.

About the Authors: Michael Boland is a Professor of Agricultural Economics with the University of Minnesota. Xiaowei Zhang is a Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant of Applied Economics with University of Minnesota

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank two reviewers for their helpful suggestions and comments.

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