**Preface to "Marketing Strategies of the Horticultural Production Chain"**

This book consists of a series of articles that present novel trends in horticulture marketing and some of the key supply chain management issues for the horticulture industry across a wide range of geographical regions. The first article evaluates the attitudes of price conscious consumers in making purchasing decisions regarding ornamental plants; it uses novel eye-tracking technology to obtain rich choice-process data of the purchasing dynamics. The second article presents an assessment of postharvest market loss in the Solomon Islands for fresh fruits and vegetables. The third article analyzes the export performance of the horticulture sector in Ethiopia using cointegration analysis to evaluate the long-run relationship among key variables and their relationship to horticultural exports. The fourth article evaluates the potential for advertising and promoting ornamental horticulture products using new media tools, including websites, social media and blogs. The fifth article evaluates how diversity of farm production affects the food consumption of households in rural Tanzania. The sixth article is a case study of postharvest loss in the tomato industry in Australia; it employs a multidisciplinary approach to quantify losses. The seventh article implements a wholesale survey to study the economic loss generated by food waste in the canning vale fruit and vegetable markets in western Australia. The eighth article evaluates the economic profitability of using different container sizes on transplanted trees. The last article is a qualitative case study of new-media marketing use with a focus on social media among garden centers in Kansas, United States. Harmonizing the supply chain from input suppliers and producers to consumers is paramount to the success of the horticultural industry. As the horticulture industry continuous to evolve and become more global, there will be challenges and opportunities for procuring abundant, nutritious, and safe products.

> **Marco A. Palma** *Editor*
