Australia-Pakistan Pulses Export Value Chain Competitiveness: A System Thinking Approach

Australia fulfils more than half of the Pakistan pulses demand. However, Pakistan’s increasing reliance on imports has attracted global exporters, posing an emerging challenge to Australia’s market share and chain competitiveness. Literature suggests that strengthening actors’ relationships and building trust in the value chain can leverage chain competitiveness. This study, therefore, aimed at improving the chain competitiveness in the Australia-Pakistan pulses export value chain, focusing on actors’ relationships and trust. Primary data were collected using semi-structured interviews with pulses processors and exporters in Australia, and importers, wholesalers, processors, retailers and consumers in Pakistan. The data were analysed based on five relationship and trust components: dynamic capability, co-innovation, effective communication, resource sharing, and knowledge sharing, using NVivo12. The cause-and-effect of each variable within the component results in a qualitative system dynamics model: Causal Loop Diagram. The results indicate that sharing resources between the actors is limited and driven by transactional relationships—a primary barrier to competitiveness. The relational gap and trust between exporters and importers are widening due to unexpected switches in trade partners by importers. The differing actors’ priorities further impair this issue: importers are primarily focused on finding budget-friendly products, while exporters emphasise product quality, innovation, and standardisation. Building a trustworthy platform that facilitates access to resources, information, and knowledge among value chain actors can strengthen relationships and foster trust. This, in turn, enhances the overall competitiveness of the value chain.