What Are The Rural And Urban Marketing Components, If Any, Within Agri-Food Marketing In Bottom Of The Pyramid- Subsistence Market Contexts In Developing Countries? A Literature Review

Abstract

The main aim of the research was to consider the rural and urban marketing components, if any, within agri-food marketing in bottom of the pyramid-substance markets in developing countries. The research considered rural and urban contexts in bottom of the pyramid-substance markets in developing countries. The research also considered agri-food marketing in bottom of the pyramid-substance markets and in particular rural agri-food marketing and urban agri-food marketing. In this regard it identified their specific characteristics and compared them with agri-food marketing characteristics in bottom of the pyramid-substance markets in developing countries. The findings provided that there were components of both rural and urban agri-food marketing within agri-food marketing in bottom of the pyramid-substance markets in developing countries, but found that within main stream sources of literature specifically devoted to agri-food marketing, evidence of both rural and urban argi-food marketing was thin at best, if not inexistant. This was quite surprising, seeing the importance of agrifood marketing in both rural and urban areas. This inevitably points to a ‘gap’ within agri-food marketing main sources of literature. This providing for consideration to be taken for ‘mainstreaming’
both rural and urban agri-food marketing in the agri-food marketing discourse. What was also found, with some degree of confidence, was the interlinkages between rural and urban agri-food marketing. Further what also emerged was ‘rurban’: small urban agglomerations, like small towns for example, that are urban, but have distinct rural characteristics and as such cannot be treated as rural or as urban. In this regard further and more research should be considered on rurban agri-food marketing. Moreover what also emerged from the research, was that, and seemingly, a different fundamental notion and concept of marketing needs to be considered for agri-food marketing specifically in bottom of the pyramid-substance market contexts in developing countries and thus also here further research should be considered.