Who benefits? Unpacking heterogeneity in China’s upstream coffee value chain through the actor-profit-institution framework

Coffee is primarily produced in the Global South to meet demand in the Global North. While the global value chain of coffee has been widely examined, few studies analyze the heterogeneity and complexities of its upstream section. Based on a mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative data, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the upstream coffee value chain using an actor-profit-institution framework. The findings reveal substantial heterogeneity among actors across both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the coffee value chain. Horizontally, certification schemes as trade-related institutions have created new forms of exclusion, disproportionately concentrating benefits among certified actors while marginalizing others. Vertically, contract farming reinforces power asymmetries by favoring higher-level actors at the expense of smallholders, rather than ensuring equitable benefit distribution. These insights contribute to broader discussions on social differentiation in global value chains and agrarian change.