What is agribusiness? When did it emerge? In answering these
questions, Mendonça traces the global contours of contemporary
agriculture, bringing a critical analysis of the origins of agribusiness
in the United States and its subsequent international signature. The
investigation of historical dynamics reveals that the industrialization
of agriculture was a result of a dialectical movement of economic crisis
and expansion. This analysis sheds new light on current debates about
food sovereignty, agriculture technologies, international financial
markets and farmland speculation.
Mendonça challenges the
established contemporary discourse regarding the contribution that
agribusiness makes to economic development. Industrialization of
agriculture demands increasing amounts of credit for capital inputs,
which are captured by agribusiness corporations, leading to market
concentration. This explains how global economic policies directly
impact land and food systems, as across the production “chain”
multinational corporations control production and trading mechanisms.
For
those who are new to the study of agribusiness, this book provides a
clear introduction to global trends. For those more engaged it serves as
a valuable overview, an excellent text for students involved in studies
of agriculture and food sovereignty.
