Peter Dicken 2015 We Are What We Eat

© Peter Dicken 2015

‘We Are What We Eat’: The Agro-food Industries Global Shift Chapter 13

Review • Concepts to Review – Transportation technologies, resource extractive industries, ethical consumer practices, uneven globalization, role of the state • Key Words – Renewable resources, agricultural practices, global consumption patterns, genetically modified organisms, branding

The Agro-food Industries: Definition and Structure • Characteristics of the Industry • Globalization of Agro-food • production local, distribution increasingly global • ‘just-in-time’ industry • Agro-food and Technology • ‘global cool chains’ • biotechnologies • industrially produced chemicals • genetic modification • food additives

The State Versus the Corporation • Role of the State • Shape of the Corporations • Regulation of the Industry • The Labour Force

The Market • The Consumer – Although most people struggle to survive, consumers in developed world are spoilt for choice – Food choices complex and embedded – Embrace diversity of new food products – Rise of ethical consumer movement • Branding – Dominated by branded products – Products sold as global brands, also simultaneously sold under a local label – Identity is key

Global Retail • Biggest food retailers – have been domestically oriented for most of their histories – have become increasingly transnational – vary considerably in their degree of transnationalism • Competing with local firms is difficult – The use of local partners can avoid some of the difficulties of expansion – Retailers expand their sourcing