Global supply chain resilience and traceability in developing economies

Abstract

The report funded through the UKRI Impact Acceleration Business Boost scheme, investigated resilience and traceability in the UK–South Africa apple global value chain (GVC). The research aimed to understand how sustainability governance, particularly retailer-led traceability systems, interacts with production-level resilience to environmental risks. The scope included mapping the full supply chain from orchards in South Africa’s Western Cape to UK supermarkets, conducting interviews with growers, packhouses, exporters, and UK buyers, alongside document analysis of standards and audit requirements. The findings revealed that UK retailers’ governance models effectively ensured traceability and environmental compliance at the first-tier supplier level (export packhouses and large commercial farms) but lacked visibility beyond this point. Second-tier actors—such as independent packhouses, contract growers, and smallholder farms—were outside direct governance oversight, despite being critical in early-stage production. Moreover, buyer-imposed environmental standards often assumed stable infrastructure and consistent water availability, leading upstream suppliers to adopt short-term coping responses such as altering irrigation schedules, temporarily reducing orchard area, or reallocating water from other crops. While these measures helped meet seasonal export commitments, they were not embedded in longer-term adaptation strategies, leaving upstream suppliers exposed to recurring water stress.