冷鏈系統對於農產品市場建構之研究

Abstract

隨著農產品保鮮、安全與穩定供應逐漸成為農業政策的重要核心，冷鏈系統被視為提升農產品市場競爭力的重要基礎建設。然而，既有研究多以物流效率與技術升級為分析重心，對冷鏈系統如何介入農產品市場運作機制，以及其在價值形成過程中所扮演的制度性角色，仍缺乏深入探討。基於此，本研究以行動者網絡理論為分析架構，檢視冷鏈系統在臺灣農產品運銷體系中的作用，並以葉菜類農產品作為經驗研究對象，探究冷鏈導入如何重構市場關係與交易邏輯。 本研究透過深度訪談與文件分析，系統性描繪農民、物流業者、批發市場、零售通路與政策制度等人類與非人行動者，在冷鏈系統建構與運作過程中的互動與結盟關係。研究結果顯示，冷鏈系統不僅具備降低損耗與延長保存期限的功能，更透過冷藏設備、溫度標準與作業規範等技術配置，將農產品品質加以框架化與制度化，使品質得以轉化為可被管理、衡量與溝通的技術指標，進而影響價格設定機制與市場分級結構。 研究發現冷鏈建設促使農產品市場由高度依賴經驗判斷與即期交易的運作模式，轉向結合品質標準、通路規範與資訊管理的市場運作邏輯。然而，冷鏈政策在實務推動過程中仍面臨小農投資能力有限、冷鏈設施使用不均、跨行動者協調成本偏高等結構性限制，顯示冷鏈市場的形成並非線性技術擴散，而是一個持續協商、調整與再穩定化的過程。整體而言，本研究指出冷鏈系統不僅是一項物流技術，更是一種重塑農產品市場結構、價格形成機制與價值評價方式的制度性裝置，對於農產品冷鏈政策設計、市場制度規劃及產業輔導策略，具有重要的理論與實務意涵。

As the preservation, safety, and stable supply of agricultural products have increasingly become central priorities in agricultural policy, cold chain systems are widely regarded as essential infrastructure for enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural markets. However, existing research has largely focused on logistics efficiency and technological upgrading, paying relatively limited attention to how cold chain systems intervene in the operational mechanisms of agricultural markets and the institutional roles they play in the processes of value formation. In response, this study adopts Actor–Network Theory as its analytical framework to examine the role of cold chain systems within Taiwan’s agricultural distribution system. Using leafy vegetables as an empirical case, the study investigates how the introduction of cold chain systems reconfigures market relations and transaction logics. Based on in-depth interviews and document analysis, this research systematically maps the interactions and alliance-building processes among human and non-human actors—including farmers, logistics providers, wholesale markets, retail channels, and policy institutions—throughout the construction and operation of cold chain systems. The findings show that cold chain systems not only reduce post-harvest losses and extend shelf life, but also frame and institutionalize product quality through technical arrangements such as refrigeration equipment, temperature standards, and operational protocols. Through these mechanisms, quality is transformed into manageable, measurable, and communicable technical indicators, which in turn shape price-setting mechanisms and market segmentation structures. Further analysis indicates that the development of cold chain infrastructure drives a shift in agricultural markets from modes of operation heavily reliant on experiential judgment and spot transactions toward market logics that integrate quality standards, channel regulations, and information management. Nevertheless, the practical implementation of cold chain policies continues to face structural constraints, including limited investment capacity among small-scale farmers, uneven utilization of cold chain facilities, and high coordination costs across actors. These findings suggest that the formation of cold chain-enabled markets is not a linear process of technological diffusion, but rather an ongoing process of negotiation, adjustment, and re-stabilization. Overall, this study argues that cold chain systems should be understood not merely as logistics technologies, but as institutional devices that actively reshape agricultural market structures, price formation mechanisms, and modes of value evaluation, with important theoretical and practical implications for cold chain policy design, market governance, and agricultural development strategies.