Assignment

Your task for this assignment is to choose one food item that you could find at a local grocery store (big chain or small specialty store).  In two pages of text, trace a “commodity chain” or “chain of production” for that item, from its origination to your doorstep in Tampa, Florida. The chain represents a link between producers and consumers on a global scale.  

Here are some questions that you can try your best to answer about your chosen food item. You may not be able to find the answers for all of these, but answer at least five in your essay. 

--What makes your chosen food item a "fusion" between local producers and global consumers?

--Where is the item produced, grown, or manufactured? 

--Who provides the labor to produce the food item? 

--How is it marketed? 

--Where does the item travel between its origins and its destination? (trace it's journey from where it is grown or produced to Tampa, FL)

--Who is affected by its production, distribution, and consumption?

--Are any basic human rights violated in the creation of the product?

--What are the environmental or human impacts of the commodity chain? (health impacts of pesticides on harvesters for example)

--Who (individuals, corporations) in the chain benefits the most from the sale of the item? 

Make sure your paper is: two full pages double-spaced, 12 point standard font, stapled. 

You must include a bibliography with the websites, news articles, journal articles, or books you consulted for your essay. Be sure to use quotation marks for direct quotes and cite the year and page number if you use direct quotes from that material. If you have questions about citing sources, contact the instructor right away.