Agribusiness
Agribusiness or agri-business called anglicism ( from the English word " agriculture" and "business" ) only agriculture but also the their upstream and downstream economic activities. Together they form a value chain.
This overall system is referred to as agribusiness or agricultural and food industry, more rarely, a food business or in English as a Food Chain, Food Supply Chain, Food Value Chain or Food System.
Distinction between
Occasionally, only the area of agriculture and the immediately upstream areas (input industries) and the immediately downstream areas ( acquisition and wholesale ) is denoted by agribusiness. In the prevailing meaning of the term agribusiness is broader and covers all areas of the value chain and distribution to the end user. The importance of agribusiness enough so that even more than the colloquial inherited from the English phrase " from farm to fork ", as the Agribusiness includes the value chain for food and the entire agriculture upstream area. Assumes particular importance in the context of this overall system of food safety and the traceability of food to their origin.
More rarely, the term is used with a negative connotation as a designation for industrial agriculture in the English and German language.
Components
The system of Agribusiness includes the following economic sectors:
- Sectors in the agriculture upstream area: Seed breeding, fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural machinery, animal husbandry, animal feed and compound feed, animal health, stable technology and Hofinnenwirtschaft;
- Sectors in the agricultural sector itself, the production areas: Agriculture, horticulture and floriculture, viticulture, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture;
- Sectors in the agriculture downstream of the detection and wholesale level: Grain trade, cattle trade, fruit and vegetable wholesalers, importers, exporters, and private and cooperative land trade organizations operating in both the agricultural terms as well as paragraph;
- Sectors in the so-called first-stage processing ( processing of agricultural raw product ): Grain and grinding mills, hulling mills, oil mills, slaughterhouses and cutting plants, dairies, starch processing, egg products, fish processing, fruit and vegetable processing, malting plants, spice plants, wineries, sugar factories;
- Sectors in the second stage of processing: Bread and bakery products, bakery industry, foodstuff and pasta, meat products, butchery, confectionery, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, vinegar, other processed products and ready meals in different production and manifestations;
- Sectors in the level of the food trade: Food retailing, Stationary Food Wholesalers ( Cash & Carry), food delivery business, exporters and importers;
- Sectors in the stage of food preparation as major customers: Classic catering, food service and hospitality industry, public catering establishments (establishments, hospitals, schools, etc.), service companies (catering )
- Also the system of Agribusiness still include many services that are provided within the listed sectors, such as advisory services, financing, transportation and laboratory services, insurance, appraisals, etc. to association activities and governmental activities.
- The sectors of the first and second processing stage are referred to in official statistics as a manufacturing food industry. This includes the food or food industry and the food trade.
Special case of renewable raw materials
In the context of energy production from renewable raw materials as well as other economic use ( herbal medicines, bio- plastics, etc. ) experiences on the processing stage and the non-food sector increasingly important. Here, agricultural and forestry products are used for energy, among others. Provide examples of this wood - grain or incineration, biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol, etc. The forestry as a source of timber is not usually associated with the system of agribusiness, as they traditionally not used for food production. If the agriculture of the food supply at least partially converts to energy supply and forestry also receives a major role in the energy supply from renewable energy, you can think about this.
Market data and Employees
Overall, more than 3 million people are in the overall system of agribusiness in Germany in more than 500,000 plants employed (equivalent to 9 % of all employees ). The total turnover of this sector in Germany is around € 330 billion ( equivalent to 13 % of gross domestic product (2006) ). employees:
Criticism
Critics of the industry follow in addition to general industry -critical or critical of capitalism goals, some that are specifically associated with the topic agribusiness and food production. Along all target dimensions, non-governmental organizations have formed who demand the strengthening of the goods it represents protection policy. Many of the protection categories have - been incorporated into state regulations - to varying degrees. Among the most important protection categories include:
- Animal welfare: The largest and economically most important part of the food industry is concerned with the processing of animal products. The upstream in the food value chain of food production livestock is often criticized, in particularly in relation to housing conditions in the farming, poultry and pigs for fattening. Representative, for example, the animal protection association.
- Environment and Conservation: Closely linked to the issue of animal welfare, these motivations is generally directed to the protection and preservation of limited natural resources, such as to avoid long transport routes or the avoidance of disposable packaging. These ultimately includes the criticism of the use of genetic engineering in agriculture, as this other species are threatened. Representatives are, for example, various environmental organizations.
- Consumer Protection: This motivation is designed to protect against health threats by the excessive everyday consumption of sugar, fat, salt, etc. as well as to provide protection against food scandals. This applies to both hygiene as well as questions of permitted and prohibited ingredients of foods and their precursors (eg employed fodder, veterinary medicines, pesticides). Representatives are, for example, Food Watch.
- Economical Consumer Protection: It is about the defense of economic damage from consumers, for example by avoiding deception about ingredients and weight or enforced standards / grades or regulations. Economical Consumer Protection has so far always a competition dimension, as it allows the company to act monitored market rules. Representatives are eg consumer associations.
- Protection against unfair consequences of globalization: Against discrimination of producers in developing countries compared to stronger trading partners in the industrialized countries sat down according to a protection -oriented organizations. Part of seal of approval to be developed in order to make positive examples as role models identified can. In this category fall ultimately all other conservation interests, relating to unfair consequences of globalization such as social standards, child labor, etc. Representatives, for example, TransFair.
- Occupational health and safety of workers and workers in industrial agriculture. This protection serve rural workers unions such as the example César Chávez founded United Farm Workers in the USA.
- Self-organization of farmers in developing countries: In many countries, peasant movements have emerged that have set themselves the defense of the small farmer life and promote sustainable agriculture to the target. They and similar movements in the industrialized countries are organized in the Via Campesina.
- Finally, there is a special case, the object of protection " taste ". As a counter-movement to an increasingly industrially defined consumer culture clubs and organizations find strong encouragement that deal with the discovery of enjoyment non- industrially produced food. Unlike in the other categories of protection, of course there will be no political debate about the taste. Representatives are eg clubs such as Slow Food.