synonymous with produce quality and quality becomes an instrument of
marketing strategies aimed at consumers. A recent study (Blisard et al.,
1999) showed that expenditure on fresh fruit and vegetables in the total
household food expenditures increases as incomes rise. Fresh produce
quality enables growers and marketers to overcome barriers to individ-
uals’ consumption growth and slow population growth, while satisfying
increasingly sophisticated consumers. The picture painted here applies
to high-income economies because the primary driving force behind
changing product and quality selection is the increasing income.
Interpretation of Quality
The demand for quality attributes encouraged the investment in re-
search addressing quality problems encountered in production and mar-
keting channels that limit sales, profits, consumption, and consumer
satisfaction. The identification of economically important quality issues
is based on the highest expected returns. The priority setting determined
by scientists must be reconciled with an industry viewpoint, which is
driven by the necessity to remain profitable. Industry needs include em-
pirical studies of demand and markets to provide an overview of a fresh
produce sector for the purpose of strategic decision making. Informa-
tion generated by economic studies influences resource allocation and
investment decisions. Consumer studies provide unique insights about
behavior and facilitate management selection of marketing techniques.
Further, consumer education may enhance the understanding of changes
in the production, handling, and distribution by communicating benefits
of new solutions.
The complexity of improving produce quality attributes encourages a
multidisciplinary approach to quality. The multidisciplinary approach,
however, conflicts with the reward system based on individual and dis-
ciplinary effort. The existing reward system encourages fragmentation
of research effort and leads to delays in sharing important discoveries
because of the desire to claim the disciplinary recognition of the dis-
covery through publications in peer-refereed outlets. The fuzzy delin-
eation of individual contributions in addressing produce quality requires
frequent adjustments to ensure a balanced distribution of rewards or face
potential waste of resources on duplication of efforts. Duplication can-
not always be avoided, while replication of research discoveries is nec-
essary to commercialize results. Society generally accepts potential loss
Interpretation of Quality 231