Case Study

Bridging Demand and Supply in Specialty Crop Diversification: Exploring Market Potential of Finger Limes

Andres Bejarano Loor(a), Lijun Angelia Chen(a), Suzanne Thornsbury(a), and Manjul Dutt(a)
(a)University of Florida

JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A22, D81, O33, Q13
Keywords: diffusion of innovation, economic systems, finger limes, specialty crops, supply chain

First Published Online: March 11, 2026

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Abstract

Peter Wells, a fourth-generation Florida citrus grower, faces increasing challenges from hurricanes, urbanization, and diseases such as huanglongbing (HLB). At a University of Florida field day, he learns about finger limes (Citrus australasica), a recently introduced citrus crop with tolerance to HLB and growing appeal in gourmet food and beverage markets. Finger limes offer diversification and premium price opportunities, but uncertainties remain around supply chains, regulatory hurdles, and long-term demand. This teaching case places students in Peter’s position as he considers whether to convert part of his land to finger limes, continue with traditional citrus, or exit citrus all together. Students are asked to analyze the opportunity using an integrated framework—supply chain mapping, economic systems, and diffusion of innovation—to weigh risks, motivations, and adoption dynamics. Designed for capstone undergraduate and master’s students in agricultural economics and agribusiness, the case develops applied skills in market analysis, innovation adoption, supply chain evaluation, and strategic decision-making under uncertainty.

About the Authors: Andres Bejarano Loor is a Research Analyst, Lijun Angelia Chen (corresponding author; lijunchen@ufl.edu) is an Assistant Professor, and Suzanne Thornsbury is a Professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Florida. Manjul Dutt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida.

Acknowledgments: We are grateful to Dr. Trent Blare (Country Representative and Scientist at the International Potato Center), who was instrumental in establishing this project. This research was supported by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences SEEDIT (Support for Emerging Enterprise Integration Teams) Program and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. This work was also supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project FLA-FRE-006374. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Florida (Protocol #ET00041413), and all participants provided informed consent before participation. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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