From Origin to Trinidad and Tobago
The commodity chain item chosen is Del Monte’s Whole Kernel Canned Corn, situated in the United States of America. Del Monte Foods rule the sweet corn belt that ranges from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Dakota and Central and Northern Illinois. The company does not own any farms, but contract and supply local farmers with the seeds to farm their lands which span thousands of acres.
The planting season starts off in the month of April and last into June. When the corn fields are ready to be harvested, Del Monte’s field supervisors are sent to the farms where they are inspected to determine the maturity. They are then mechanically harvested by the farmers and transported by the company’s trucks and rails to the nearest processing plants such as Toppenish, Markesan or Cambria in Washington State or Wisconsin.
At the plants, they are inspected, cleaned and the kernels are then removed to be stored for cannery. The Western distribution center is located in Lathrop, California due to its cool storage facilities and close proximity to production facilities such as inbound and outbound ports. The cans are labeled and ready to be shipped. Del Monte retails via transfer rail and truck service to the entire United States combined with export trade and transfer by sea cargo ships to international countries.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Marketing and Distribution Limited is responsible for introducing Del Monte’s products to our local market. The products are transported via cargo CMA CGM ships from Florida’s port which arrive at the port located in Port-of-Spain. Upon arrival, they are transported to the company’s distribution warehouse which are then inspected and distributed to wholesalers and retailers via trucks nationwide. Local groceries such as HiLo Food Stores, receive the Del Monte’s products from Marketing and Distribution Limited which are then placed in their storage holding facilities. The cans are finally placed on the shelves of the grocery by employees and quickly bought costumers.
Map 1: Map Illustrating the harvesting, processing, distribution and export of Del Monte’s Whole Kernel Corn.
Photo 1: Del Monte’s Exportation
of Products. Source: Vcstar.com
Photo 2- Canning of Corn Source: sfgate.com
Social and Environmental Conditions
The Corn Belt accounts for more than fifty- percent of corn grown in America. According to Del Monte Foods, Minnesota is known as the “corn capital of the world” because it yields 156 bushels per acre which is the highest among corn-growing states. Currently there are over 3,500 uses for corn and Seventy-five percent of all grocery items contain corn in some form, generating an extensive amount of profit for companies especially for Del Monte. Therefore it can be seen that corn plays an essential role in food production and an important income generator for America.
Corn is a summer crop and across the belt is known to grow best in ideal warm temperatures of 68-73 degrees Fahrenheit. It is sensitive to the cold areas and therefore planted after the frost to prevent the lost to any of the plants. It requires a moist, well-drained rich soil that contains a lot of organic matter such as sandy loam. They also need proper watering to enhance production especially during pollination. Fertilizers are added before or during the growing process to ensure proper pH balance, growth and development.
Today, climate change and pests poses a large threat to corn growth. Del Monte’s researchers constantly work to develop new cold and pest resistant varieties of corn that can result in higher yields due to the changing climate. Before any of the new seeds are planted for mass production, they are required to be tested at least three years in their research plots. They apply principles of Integrated Pest Management and also practice crop rotation which controls soil insects.
According to Farmfeedsus.org, ninety percent of corn farms are family oriented and have been passed down from previous generations. Workers consist of mainly the farmer and his family with one or two extra helpers. According to Del Monte’s field supervisor Kevin Moore , "We have an agreement that we sign with farmers in the area, like Jim Ambler and Dave Kern, where we get so many acres to put our corn on their land,”. “We provide them with the seed and the planting date. Once it is planted, together we take care of it. When we get to about this maturity, Del Monte takes over, and we decide when to harvest it, and we harvest it with our equipment." Mendota Reporter (2008). It can be seen that Del Monte and their farmers share a close working relationship from planting to harvesting.
On the other hand, these farmers also face many challenges when entering into contracts with Del Monte. Futures contracts are contracts made with a set price before any planting has taken place. However, if the price of rented land, equipment, seeds, fertilizer or corn has increased, they will not gain maximum profits.
Del Monte Foods also has a good working relationship with permanent employees in the processing and distribution plants. They have a peak employment of 7,800 including a workforce of 2,400 full-time and 5,400 seasonal workers. All workplaces are free of hazards and comply with all laws and regulations governing workplace safety and health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). The permanent workers receive employee benefits such as medical, dental, insurance, paid vacations, savings plans and assistance programs. They also offer developmental programs to help employees further their career and performance such as certifications and courses with financial assistance if needed.
Photo 3: Testing of corn to
determine maturity for harvesting.
Meaning
in Society
Del Monte has positioned itself in
society to be one of the most popular brands on the shelves of our local
groceries. The whole kernel corn is
packaged into metal cans to keep its freshness and deter oxygen for many
months. It also has a shelf life of two to three years from the date of
production if unharmed or stored in normal conditions. In the United States of
America, a can of Del Monte’s whole kernel corn sells at approximately 2-3 US,
while in Trinidad a can retails for 7-9 TT dollars.
The can is wrapped in a label of captivating dark green and bright yellow colours. There is also a picture showing a basket of fresh ears of corn with golden corn kernels and Del Monte’s signature logo at the front. Added to the back are the nutrition facts, contact and additional information and also the ingredients. Its packaging represents the farms of the Corn Belt and the high quality, fresh, juicy and sweet corn that are produced yearly that are wholly unavailable to the local market in Trinidad and Tobago. Due to this, many tend to choose Del Monte as their favourite brand of whole kernel corn. Del Monte’s whole kernel corn was chosen as the commodity item due to its fresh taste and naturally sweet flavour. In Trinidad and Tobago, pioneer corn also referred to as “cow corn” is the most common type grown. In America, it is grown to be used as a grain or animal feed since it is not as sweet and juicy as the variety used for human consumption and also very hard to incorporate into meals. During the corn harvesting season, they sometimes sell six to ten ears of corn for $20TT. From the perspective of local customers, it is very expensive and canned corn is the cheaper, convenient and sweeter alternative that can also be used in food preparation.
Corn originated around 6000 BC in the Western Hemisphere and was later brought to Trinidad and Tobago by the Amerindians, who spread corn throughout North and South America. Today, it is incorporated into many traditional and cultural dishes such as the famous ‘trini’ corn soup, corn bread, corn pudding, corn pies and many Chinese dishes that have taken root in almost every village. Canned corn is preferred in all dishes except the corn soup because of its sweetness and softness that cannot be derived from local pioneer corn. Therefore, it is more accepted and incorporated into our practices and rituals.
The can is wrapped in a label of captivating dark green and bright yellow colours. There is also a picture showing a basket of fresh ears of corn with golden corn kernels and Del Monte’s signature logo at the front. Added to the back are the nutrition facts, contact and additional information and also the ingredients. Its packaging represents the farms of the Corn Belt and the high quality, fresh, juicy and sweet corn that are produced yearly that are wholly unavailable to the local market in Trinidad and Tobago. Due to this, many tend to choose Del Monte as their favourite brand of whole kernel corn. Del Monte’s whole kernel corn was chosen as the commodity item due to its fresh taste and naturally sweet flavour. In Trinidad and Tobago, pioneer corn also referred to as “cow corn” is the most common type grown. In America, it is grown to be used as a grain or animal feed since it is not as sweet and juicy as the variety used for human consumption and also very hard to incorporate into meals. During the corn harvesting season, they sometimes sell six to ten ears of corn for $20TT. From the perspective of local customers, it is very expensive and canned corn is the cheaper, convenient and sweeter alternative that can also be used in food preparation.
Corn originated around 6000 BC in the Western Hemisphere and was later brought to Trinidad and Tobago by the Amerindians, who spread corn throughout North and South America. Today, it is incorporated into many traditional and cultural dishes such as the famous ‘trini’ corn soup, corn bread, corn pudding, corn pies and many Chinese dishes that have taken root in almost every village. Canned corn is preferred in all dishes except the corn soup because of its sweetness and softness that cannot be derived from local pioneer corn. Therefore, it is more accepted and incorporated into our practices and rituals.
Photo 5: A “trini” corn pie. Source: Simplytrinicooking.com
Photo 6: A hearty ‘trini corn soup. Source: healthyandgourmet.blogsport.com
Theoretical Dimensions of Commodity
Chains
A commodity is a marketable product or service that satisfies wants and needs. Soft commodities are food items that are grown. They play and integral role in our daily lives and we tend to develop rituals, affinities and meanings around them. While customers buy their favourite commodities on the grocery shelves, many are not aware of product’s background information or the process of how it reaches there. A commodity chain is a process used by firms to gather resources, transform them into goods or commodities and finally, distribute them to customers. (Rodrigue 2013). There are three scholarly articles based on the dimensions of commodity chains that have several views of linking production to consumption.
According to Hartwick (1996), commodity chains are used to show the links between consumption and production. It also states that geographies of consumption literature alone is without a firm structure and becomes solid when combined with a materialist commodity chain analysis. Hartwick uses the example of the consumption end of people looking through windows in gold advertisements contrasted to the production end were men migrate and leave behind ‘gold windows’ to work in the South African gold mines. It was concluded that by examining these issues using commodity chains, it gives a deeper understanding and analysis of a commodity.
Mansilla ( 2003) also examined the perspective of commodity chains to analyze the Chilean salmon farming industry. It assisted greatly in focusing on the different sections of the chain and to also understand what was occurring. For example there was an economic concentration at the ‘front end’ of the chain where the importation of foreign feed has a great influence in the market. It also showed that there was a clash between foreign and local production. On the other hand Leslie and Reimer (1999) argued that both horizontal and vertical aspects should be considered when looking at commodity chains to link production and consumption. This would ensure that all options are explored and various factors can be examined. Although commodity chains are perceived to be an easy tasked, it has proven to be complicated in nature and tedious. They provide detailed information and reveal underlying issues or factors responsible or for a commodity’s creation and usage.
References
'Corn, Sweet Corn'. 2014. Trinidad Express Newspaper.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Corn__sweet_corn-126440473.html.'Del Monte'. 2014. Delmonte.Com. http://www.delmonte.com/.
'Del Monte - GMO Truth Alliance'. 2014. Forumforpages.Com. http://www.forumforpages.com/facebook/gmo-truth-alliance/del-monte/2896127184/0.
'Falling Prices Cloud Outlook For Minnesota Corn Farms'. 2014. Startribune.Com. http://www.startribune.com/business/218451471.html.
'Family Foods And Recipes Finder - Del Monte'. 2014. Delmontefoods.Com. https://www.delmontefoods.com/.
Hartwick, Elaine R. 2000. 'Towards A Geographical Politics Of Consumption'. Environment And Planning A 32 (7): 1177--1192.
Leslie, Deborah, and Suzanne Reimer. 1999. 'Spatializing Commodity Chains'. Progress In Human Geography 23 (3): 401--420.
Phyne, John, and Jorge Mansilla. 2003. 'Forging Linkages In The Commodity Chain: The Case Of The Chilean Salmon Farming Industry, 1987--2001'. Sociologia Ruralis 43 (2): 108--127.
Rodrigue, Dr. 2014. 'Freight Transportation And Value Chains'. People.Hofstra.Edu. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/conc5en/ch5c3en.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment