Challenging the paradigm: How to extend conventional agricultural economic analysis to support agribusiness in the new global economy

Agribusinesses in the global agricultural and food system are experiencing formidable competitive pressures. Agricultural supply systems are exhibiting innovative production arrangements, contracts, and closer vertical marketing arrangements to increase efficiency and profitability through greater market co-ordination. The complexity of the emerging agricultural marketing structures necessitates an appropriate research paradigm to analyse and understand these changes. Constructivism is proposed as an applicable research paradigm and a potential research framework for the analysis of supply chains is discussed.