Exploring for a Sustainable Mango Value Chain in Sarawak: From Environments to Behaviors

Abstract

This exploratory research investigates the commercial viability and structural transformation of Sarawak’s fragmented mango sector. By analyzing the interplay between macro-environmental factors as well as the logistics and local stakeholder dynamics, the study provides an integrated framework for sustainable mango value chain. Sarawak’s mango sector suffers from low commercialization due to uneconomical scale and quality of cultivation, erratic equatorial weather, logistical and infrastructural deficits, and unstructured distribution networks. Consequently, smallholder planters face cost issues, and still remain highly dependent on exploitative traditional middlemen. Existing value chain research predominantly focuses on large-scale, peninsular export models. There is a critical lack of empirical literature examining how regional macro-environments directly shape the distinct socio-cultural and economic behaviors of agri-food actors, typically mangoes, in East Malaysia. This study aims to develop a sustainable mango value chain framework that includes environmental and behavioral aspects that optimize market efficiency in Sarawak. The objectives include: assessing the behaviors of planters, channel members, and local consumers, and proposing strategic interventions for upgrading processing and logistics infrastructure. This study employs a mixed-methods approach across Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian. Quantitative regressions on survey data from mango planters, marketers, and consumers (n=200) to evaluate behavioral relationships. Concurrently, qualitative interviews with the planters and channel members (n=30) and thematic environmental assessments contextualize infrastructural and socio-cultural bottlenecks within the local supply network. Environmental analyses reveal that infrastructural deficits in logistics and low technological adoption hamper value addition. Behaviorally, planters demonstrate low market orientation, leaving them vulnerable to traditional channel members who dictate pricing. However, consumers’ attitudes and expectations are promising and are useful to build a market-oriented value chain. This study introduces a novel framework bridging environmental macro-dynamics with localized behavioral economics, offering a distinct perspective towards serving the targeted markets. Policymakers can utilize these findings to guide targeted agro-tech investments, while agribusinesses can design fairer, more efficient farming models. Nevertheless, the research is geographically confined to southern Sarawak, and the structural data excludes unorganized, non-commercial backyard hyper-local barter economies.