Production of fresh vegetables for export has grown rapidly in a number ofcountries in sub-Saharan African over the past decade. This trade bringsproducers and exporters based in Africa together with importers andretailers in Europe. Large retailers in Europe play a decisive role instructuring the production and processing of fresh vegetables exported fromAfrica. The requirements they specify for cost, quality, delivery, productvariety, innovation, food safety and quality systems help to determine whattypes of producers and processors are able to gain access to the freshvegetables chain and the activities they must carry out. The control over thefresh vegetables trade exercised by UK supermarkets has clearconsequences for inclusion and exclusion of producers and exporters ofdiffering types, and for the long-term prospects for the fresh vegetablesindustry in the two major exporting countries studied, Kenya and Zimbabwe.