teristics included in the description reflect only the view of the initiat-
ing party, some economically important attributes may be ignored. De-
liberate or unintentional omissions may hurt the ability to effectively
communicate among various links in the marketing chain rewarding at-
tributes to which retail consumers attach little importance and are un-
willing to pay a premium.
How well standards reflect the quality attributes desired by users and
recommended by market is often a cause of debate. Marketing channel
participants allege sometimes that another party takes an unfair advan-
tage of the process. Government investigations and possible interven-
tions could be justified if the economic loss caused by confirmed unfair
behavior exceeds the cost of implementing a change, therefore increas-
ing the overall welfare.
Enforcement of Standards for Quality
The enforcement is largely dependent on the roles played by the pri-
vate sector and the government in recognizing the need for and benefits
of standards for quality grades. The voluntary use of standards for grades
transfers the responsibility for enforcement to buyers and sellers, away
from the government. Specification of a grade and naming the source of
its description in a contract secures rights to legal recourse should the
quality of delivered produce be questioned. The ultimate enforcer of
quality standards on the fresh produce market is the retail customer.
Leaving the enforcement of standards for quality to market forces is
cost-effective. However, not all attributes essential to retail customers,
and therefore to all links in marketing chain, can be evaluated at the
point of purchase through visual inspection. Nichols (1996) noticed that
intrinsic attributes are not reflected in grading systems and are excluded
from fresh produce standards. This gap leaves a place for government
as a monitoring, regulatory, or even enforcing agency.
An issue receiving particular attention and subject to government reg-
ulations is the testing for pesticide residue and monitoring of pesticide
use in production. Pesticide use and residue regulations are intended to
protect consumers from unsafe food. Food safety is of primary concern
to society and represents a condition that must be met before other qual-
ity attributes can be considered.
In recent years, the emphasis on produce quality has increased in the
American supermarket. Produce departments generate a substantial por-
tion of the overall revenue. Therefore, the supermarket name becomes