Determinants of trust in the Indonesian potato industry
A comparison among groups of potato farmers
This study explores chain participation differences among three different groups of potato producers in Indonesia. The three groups include (i) participants in Farmer Field School (FFS) programs; (ii) farmers working with a large food processors, Indofood; and (iii) a random sample of potato producers. FFS programs provide growers with an opportunity to learn and practice new management techniques. The FFS approach involves ‘learning-by-doing.’ Farmers practice new agroecological concepts and develop integrated pest management (IPM) skills through self-discovery activities (Ooi). The growers working with Indofood sell their potatoes under forward contracts to the company. The third grower group is a random sample of the general potato farmer population (GPF). The GPF farmers often sell their potatoes directly to traders along the road near their plots. The three groups are expected to have different characteristics and behaviors related to trust in their relationships with buyers. This paper aims to investigate the determinants of trust within the three groups of potato farmers.