Write a short reflection paper (750words)on the process of researching this commodity (i.e., Part 1B, worth 15% of final class mark). Based on your experiences, comment on the challenges that consumers may face in understanding and evaluating the life of this commodity. The paper must answer the questions posed in the detailed instructions below. You must use at least one corporate report(or corporate website), one report from an NGO or industry stakeholder(E.G Industry Association), and two reports from media sources(E.G CBC News).
3.Research the commodity and value chain that you have chosen. You may consider the following questions as a guide: a. What are/is the raw material input(s) of this commodity? (E.g. if the commodity is a cup of coffee then coffee beans, water and the cup are the material inputs) –For each commodity, I have indicated which material input to focus on for the assignment requirements.
b.Where does this main raw material input come from? What is its original form? (E.g. coffee starts off as beans grown on plants). c. What processes does the raw material input go through in order to become the final commodity that we consume? (E.g. the coffee bean is picked, dried, shipped, roasted, ground, combined with water). d. What happens to your commodity after it is consumed? Where is it disposed of and how? Is any recycling involved? e. Can you identify how value is added to your commodity as it travels through the value chain? (e.g. why is a cup of coffee worth so much more than a coffee bean?) f. Where (geographically) do these steps take place? What flows/movements (of money, products, disposal, labor) can you identify? g. What actors and/or institutions are involved in these steps?
h. How is the commodity chain governed? Can you identify whether the chain is buyer-driven, producer-driven or a combination? What does this mean for who has the most power within the chain? i.Are there any regulations or certification processes that happen along the way? How might they affect the commodity chain as a whole? (e.g. some coffee is certified as fair trade)
