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Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 1 Anthropology 104 Fieldwork Project 1 | Commodity Chain Analysis This material is the intellectual property of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All rights reserved. Project Journal Name: TA Name: Discussion Section Number: Semester and Year: 1 2023 Getting Started Welcome to your journal assignments for Fieldwork Project 1! Please add your information to this template (above), rename and save it in Microsoft Word .docx or .doc format. Make sure the filename includes your name and the name of the assignment (FWP1). (Example) FWP1 Wendy Liu.docx Submission: The project journal will be completed in several steps. You will be submitting this same journal file multiple times in different stages of writing, in response to each journal assignment below. If you do not submit the file to Canvas by the deadline you will not be awarded points for that journal assignment. For the first assignment you are only expected to complete Journal 1.1 (the others will still be blank). By the end of the project, all the assignments in your journal will be filled in. Journal 1.1 | Reading Response Instructions & Expectations Before you begin this writing assignment: • Read the article “How Sushi Went Global” by Theodore Besto r. Download PDF from Canvas. • Watch the NPR video series “Planet Money Makes A T - Shirt”. Follow links on Canvas. Write 2-4 sentences in response to each of the question below. The first question has been completed as an example. DUE DATE: This assignment needs to be completed by 11:59pm the day BEFORE your Discussion Section in Week 3 . (Example) How has the demand for tuna changed over time? Tuna has been a popular food in Japan for centuries. Today, millions of pounds of it are sold every day in Tokyo’s wholesale seafood market. In North America, sushi was a largely unheard during the early 20th century, but during late 20th century it became a trendy food in American cities, as well as in Europe and Latin America. Consuming sushi became a sign of class status, education, and taste, and so the demand for tuna grew and the price per pound became very high. 1. Describe the locations, technologies, and workers involved in producing tuna for sushi restaurants.

Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 2 As the demand for tuna remains high on an international level, Japan uses international coasts in North America. Europe and Latin America, to their advantage supply their commodity of tuna. The Atlantic seaboard, the Adriatic, and the Australian coast are important waters to navigate the migration of the Atlantic bluefin tuna. Due to the globalization of tuna, the technologies of fishing evolved over time. Old fashioned technologies consist of rod and reel, hand line and harpoon while newer technologies use industrial gear, purse seiner and long line that evolve into an almadraba. The workers that supply the demand come from periphery countries. 2. How does the fact that tuna is sold internationally a ffect fishers’ livelihoods? As tuna is sold internationally, this affects fishers’ livelihoods. While tuna remains popular in Japan it also becomes a global hit which then leads to the increase of demand from fishers. If there is a disaster within the fish market this would negatively affect fishers as the market would collapse. High demand for tuna results in a booming economy over the world which results in an increase of profits for fishers ’ during their season. 3. Describe the locations, technologies, and workers involved in making a t-shirt. The cotton is grown on a farm in the Mississippi Delta using industrial machines like tractors, trucks designed to haul cotton bales and high-speed gins. Then the cotton is transported to countries like Bangladesh, Colombia, and Indonesia. The cotton is taken to a spinning factory that makes the plants into yarn which then goes to a circular knitting machine to make that yarn into fabric. Workers then make the fabric into garments for a low wage and that is transported back to the U.S by containers in ships, trucks and trains. 4. Describe some of the differences between working at a t-shirt factory in Bangladesh versus Columbia. Bangladesh is a lot poorer than most countries. In the t-shirt factory, workers are given a low wage for long hours in poor conditions. Many of these workers start off young which means there is no law against child labor. While in Colombia, it is more advanced there than in Bangladesh. The wages are 4x the amount than in Bangladesh. Not only that but individuals are able to have time for a second job, or hobby outside of work. 5. Explain how this article connects to concepts discussed in the lectures and/or to any of the OTHER courses you are taking this semester (identify the course name and number). This article connects concepts discussed in the lectures due to the fact it explains the process of the market in a globalized world. Tuna became a commodity representing the seafood industry as it globalized to parts of the world. As it becomes globalized, that becomes a demand that creates a booming economy. The article explains the way of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption in order to explain how tuna intertwines with the lives of people and the economy. 6. What have you learned from the article and the video series that may be useful to you when you conduct a commodity chain study yourself? The article and the video series give further insight into a commodity chain that will be useful to conduct a commodity chain study. It provides insight and perception of the people in the world because each one of us is connected in one way or another. It is important to know who, where, and what is interacting with the commodity chain as it gives a deeper understanding of people in a globalized era. It is useful to know that everyone is affected by the market as it changes, especially those who are producing the products. Everything affects the consumers and workers when given a thought, these commodity chains hold together humanity. Journal 1.2 | Commodity Choice Instructions & Expectations You are going to do your own commodity chain analysis about one of the types of commodities from the list below. During your discussion section, you should have started thinking about which type of commodity will be most interesting for you to research.

Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 3 • Chewing gum • Personal computer/laptop • Electric vehicle After you have selected the type of commodity, pick a specific brand of that commodity (e.g. a Hershey’s chocolate bar, a pair of Nike sneakers, etc.). Make sure to choose a specific brand that, based on your preliminary research in discussion section, appears to have relevant sources about its production available online. Remember: • Choose a commodity that will be interesting for you to explore. • Choose a commodity that, based on your preliminary research, appears to have enough relevant sources. Task Based on the work you did in discussion section, write down your choice of commodity, the specific brand, and a brief explanation of why you chose it in the space provided below. Your TA will review these and advise you which one(s) likely to be successful for your research. Please review your TA’s feedback on Canvas before proceeding with your project. DUE DATE: This assignment needs to be completed by 11:59pm the day AFTER your Discussion Section in Week 3 (e.g. if your discussion section meets on Monday, your Research Questions are due by 11:59pm on Tuesday). Commodity Choice Type of commodity Chewing gum Brand of commodity Extra (wrigley) Why did you choose this commodity? (1-2 sentences) I chose this commodity due to its popularity among the population. I wanted to research the layers of this commodity to understand the efforts made behind the scenes. Journal 1.3 | Commentary on Sources Instructions & Expectations For this Journal entry you will need to find at least five sources that provide you with information about the production of your commodity. These sources should be either newspaper articles or reports written by governments or non- governmental organizations. These sources should not include editorials/opinion pieces, blog entries, or personal websites. Look at the questions for your next Journal (1.4) and use these questions to guide your research. Succeeding in your Research To find answers to these questions, begin by looking at the website for the brand you selected. What information do they have about the production of their commodity? Take notes on what you find. While you read, consider how the goals of the company may shape what information is included and how it is presented. Another obvious starting point is Wikipedia. You can read this for relevant information and ideas, but it will not count as one of your sources.

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Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 4 Research Tip: Articles often make reference to other articles, either in text or in their reference list (if they have one). By following up these links you can quickly expand your pool of relevant sources! Be persistent: if the first five sources you read do not allow you to sufficiently answer the questions above, read more sources! Task Include the company website, plus at least 5 more relevant sources. List them, along with a brief commentary. Write 2- 4 sentences of commentary for each source: • briefly summarize its content and how it contributes to your analysis / what information it provides • also include the web address of the source DUE DATE: This assignment needs to be completed by 11:59pm the day BEFORE your Discussion Section in Week 4. Source (Title, Link and/or Publication Info) Commentary Example Commodity Chain and Coffee Prices. https://kencaf.com/commodity-chain-and-coffee-prices/ Example This webpage has some useful statistics about the production and supply of coffee. It has two graphics that helped me to better understand all the steps between the producer and the consumer, and how these are related. https://www.extragum.com/ The brand website has different flavors ready to be pick by consumers while promoting that they are the number one sugar-free brand. While looking further, the website provides links to supply chain transparency, and modern slavery act at the bottom of the website. https://www.extraoralhealthcareprogram.com.au/about/about- our-company/how-gum-is-made/ This website provides information on the manufacture of making Extra gum. It goes through six processes to make the gum; this gives insight the production and branding. https://www.statista.com/statistics/287644/pieces-of-wrigley- s-extra-chewing-gum-chewed-in-the-us/ This website has information on the statistics on how many pieces of Extra gum has been chewed in a week in the United States in 2020. It is in a bar graph consisting of the y axis in number of consumers in millions and the x axis in number of pieces. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry- reports/chewing-gum-market This website analyzes the chewing gum market among different brands, including Extra. Not only that, but it also includes the trends in chewing gum. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wrigley-Jr This website talks about the start of Wrigley and how it developed over time. Not only that but it states the factories located in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEjTi_-jDQU This video shows Wrigley becoming the number one competitor for chewing gum, which includes Extra. It talks about the gum market as well as ways of advertising. Self-Assessment Ready to begin your Final Analysis & Reflection (Journal 1.4)? Some of the questions in Journal 1.4 may be easier to answer than others -- it isn't always possible to find detailed information about every aspect of a commodity chain. Here is a self-assessment rubric to help you confirm when you've done enough research to begin the final analysis. • Do you feel like you can sufficiently answer all or most of the questions in Journal 1.4? YES or NO • If there are questions in Journal 1.4 you still feel you cannot answer, can you give a brief explanation of where and how you looked for the information, and why you think you were not able to find it? YES or NO If you answer "YES" to both questions, you are probably ready to begin! If you answer "NO" to either of these questions, look back at the sources you have and also consider looking for more sources. Journal 1.4 | Final Analysis & Reflection Instructions & Expectations Drawing on the information you learned from your sources, write your analysis & reflection by responding to each of the following questions; each response should be 150 – 250 words, unless otherwise noted . DUE DATE: This assignment needs to be completed by 11:59pm the day BEFORE your Discussion Section in Week 4 . 1. What commodity and brand did you pick? (1 sentence) The commodity that I picked was chewing gum, and the brand that I chose was Extra under the company Wrigley. 2. Where are the headquarters for the company that sells this commodity, and what is the company’s annual profit? (1-2 sentences) The headquarters of Wrigley is located in Chicago, Illinois. Information of annual profit is very limited, but their last annual revenue was 528 million dollars back in 2020. 3. Describe | Where do the materials for the commodity come from, and how are they produced? Since Wrigley is a privately owned company, information about where the products are from is hard to find. However, when looking at the ingredients, which involve sorbitol, gum base, and glycerol, one can find out where these raw materials may come from. Sorbitol is a highly demanded material for products in many industries like chewing gum, and the periphery countries that produce these raw materials are India, China, and Brazil. Though the United States is also a competitor in the Sorbitol market, to lower the cost of labor, companies like Wrigley depend on these countries because of the difference in labor laws. The gum is produced from tree sap which can be located within the United States or other undeveloped countries. Not only that but the gum base can be made in the factory using food-grade polymers, plasticizers, softeners,

Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 6 texturizers, and emulsifiers. The last raw material is gl ycerol which is the world’s 652 nd most traded product. The top exporters were Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany, Brazil, and the Netherlands. 4. Assess | What are the working conditions of the people who produce the materials? There isn’t a lot of information about the conditions of the people who produce the materials for Wrigley. But on speculation, the working conditions in these periphery countries that Wrigley is depending on are poor. Usually, the working conditions in these periphery countries surround cheap labor. Some of these periphery countries may have been colonized by earlier colonies which might be why there is a tight connection toward the core country. Colonialism gives access to a wide range of raw materials, cheap labor and markets to ensure the core country has what it needs. Outsourcing may be used in order to gain raw materials since it requires giving low wages to workers in these periphery countries. Not only that but offshoring happens as well since Wrigley has factories in Canada and Australia. By relocating their factories, labor, marketing, and production can increase profits for the company. These two strategies are used under flexible accumulation which means corporations can have greater flexibility with labor practices, production costs and environmental laws in periphery countries. 5. Describe | Where and how is the commodity assembled? The gum is produced by melting and mixing the gum base where the sweeteners and flavors can be added. Then rolling of the gum happens to reduce the thickness of the gum. While gradually reducing the thickness, a light coating of powdered sugar is applied to ensure the gum does not stick to the rollers. While the rolling of the gum happens, workers will taste test the batch every 30 minutes, this means that the workers check for the quality of the gum. After that, the gum is scored into a pattern based on the specific type of gym being made and then it becomes tempered. Now, the gum can be broken into individual pieces in order to be coated and tumbled. After that, wrapping of the gum is involved in the machines which then is sent out to be packaged. 80 percent of the raw materials are mechanically produced. Two facilities that the Extra gum is assembled in is in Plymouth, United Kingdom, and New South Wales, Australia. 6. Assess | What are the working conditions of the people who assemble the commodity? There wasn’t a lot of information about the working conditions of the people who assembled the Extra gum. However, there have been articles about the health and safety of Wrigley workers. Wrigley failed to ensure physical and mental wellbeing amongst their employees. Not only that but Wrigley had improper health and safety training. Furthermore, due to the working conditions stated in these articles, workers seek to increase their minimum wage to 20 dollars, more health care coverage and a pension. The employees of Wrigley seem to be not seen by the company, but this is due to the company wanting cheap labor to produce high demanding products. Based on what is given, there are health and safety concerns in the factories and warehouses. Again, this is a privately owned company, so therefore there could be more concerns about the working conditions as well as being able to wipe away allegations. 7. Assess | What are the other impacts (environmental, social, economic) of producing and assembling the commodity? Extra chewing gum poses a threat to the environment as it is not biodegradable. The production of Extra chewing gum is made up of a combination of synthetic materials which also includes polymers and resin. These materials are not biodegradable whatsoever, and when the chewing gum is disposed of improperly it can harm the environment by adding itself to the amount of litter already on the planet. The litter that is produced from chewing gum can disrupt the ecosystem. The rubber-like substance of gum makes it harder for it to break down which can be forever. The production and assembly of chewing gum has an economic impact as well. Since the raw materials are highly demanded to make the commodity of chewing gum, the periphery countries are impacted by the high demand. The need for cheap labor, whether it be foreign or domestic, has an economic impact on the workers. If there is a high demand for the commodity, it produces economic benefits toward the company, workers, and to those who provide the raw materials.

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Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 7 8. Critically Reflect | How easily were you able to find information about the commodity? What challenges did you face, and what might be the reasons for these challenges? It was not easy to find specific information on what I wanted about the commodity. I only got the surface information of what I needed for the commodity, but I do wish that there was more information about where the raw materials come from in order to make chewing gum. There were a lot of challenges that came up when trying to look for certain topics. Working conditions of workers were hard to find since Wrigley is privately owned so they are able to sweep things under the rug easily and they do not need to share what their company consists of. I mostly had to make an inference on how these working conditions were based on some articles about the strike against Wrigley. That strike was mostly about health and safety for the workers but after that year, nothing controversial was stated but there is an idea of how working conditions are like. Another challenge was finding the producers of the raw materials since Wrigley doesn't state were. Though just by looking at the ingredients on the back of their gum packet, one can locate the big countries that produce them. These countries were international, which meant labor laws were different and easier for the company to deal with. Though Wrigley has stated the producers, one can assess the facts that they were from periphery countries. 9. Connect | How do your findings about your commodity connect to concepts about political economy we discussed in class (i.e. in the lectures, section, or textbook)? My findings about my commodity of chewing gum connects to concepts about political economy discussed in class. Though chewing gum doesn’t seem that valuable to be a part of commodity fetishism, I believe that it can be. Since Extra is a well-known brand that continues to be in demand, it has become a part of society. Brands give meaning to a product, so when one sees Extra gum, they take it due to the fact that it has a symbol on it. It only has intrinsic value because of the brand name due to capitalism. Furthermore, Wrigley is in the core countries of Untied States, Australia, and Great Britain. The raw materials that are produced and given to the core countries are periphery countries. These periphery countries also consist of cheap labor so that the core countries do not have to abide by the state laws. Not only that but I believe dependency theory can also come into play. Offshoring and outsourcing can be seen to save company money while obtaining profit. Wrigley relocates many different factories overseas so that they can take advantage of the lower costs. To add on, Wrigley most likely uses outsourcing from underdeveloped countries which means they have a foreign supplier that performs tasks under cheap labor. 10. Connect | How have your ideas/feelings about this commodity changed after learning about it I do believe that my feelings and ideas about my commodity of Extra chewing gum have somewhat changed. Though I couldn’t find enough strong evidence or information about the commodity, I don’t have a strong connection toward it. I can have a grasp about what goes on behind the scenes, but I can’t fully know what it actually is. But leaning about the political economy on how it takes advantage of underdeveloped/periphery countries, I have an idea that many popular companies are a part of that system. Since Wrigley doesn’t state any other information on their company nor is there any other research articles that can explain that the company is secretive about what they do. For me as a consumer, I like to know where and who is producing the commodity as well as the raw materials. I am a part of a complex exchange system which requires me to understand the underlying processes. 11. Reflect | What have you learned about yourself while completing this project? (1-3 sentences) I finally have a grasp of the political economy, as I have not been involved in it before. It’s interesting to learn about myself that I partake in the economy in many ways in terms of profit or connections with people. I learned that it is hard to understand the complextiy of the political economy as they intertwine with one another which makes it harder to differentiate. 12. Advise | What would you do differently if you did this assignment again to achieve more in-depth answers? (1-3 sentences)

Anthropology 104 | Field Work Project 1 8 I think I would’ve made a different brand if I had known it was privately owned. If I did one that was on the market, then I would’ve achieved more in -depth answers to these questions that I stumbled upon. I only did Extra because of its popularity but I though it would’ve given me more information about the production and raw materials, but it was quite the opposite.

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