Modeling the Diffusion of Private Standards among Kenyan Cut-Flower Producers

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Abstract

This research looks at the spread of private sustainability standards in the cut-flower sector in Kenya. It uses an agent-based model to understand how standards diffuse among producers and why certain standards have dissimilar diffusion patterns. I model the trade network, how it influences certification to private standards and how standards in turn influence the topology of the network. I take into account how incomplete contracts reinforce the importance of trust in trade relationships and how this influences the diffusion of standards.

Author

• Ellen Alexandra Holtmaat, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies