Agribusiness

A portmanteau of the words agriculture and business, agribusiness generally refers to the range of industries and activities associated with farming, including the manufacturing, processing, marketing, storage and distribution of agriculture related commodities. However, the term agribusiness can have different connotations depending on the context and viewpoint. Several agribusiness philosophies and critiques from industry, environmental, Jeffersonian, Marxist, and labor perspectives are discussed here. The agribusiness industry itself promotes agribusiness as a natural progression in the development of modern agriculture. Under this definition, agribusiness simply means the business of agriculture. This includes inputs such as land, equipment, and labor, as well as the management, research, and development necessary to fully modernize the agricultural system by increasing efficiency and production. Environmental critics recognize flaws in the agribusiness model, as environmental concerns such as water and soil quality, ecosystems management and preservation, and biodiversity maintenance commonly are not accounted for in the large conventional farming and food processing operations that generally signify agribusiness. The Jeffersonian critique looks at agribusiness from the perspective of proponents of small-scale farms. Under the Jeffersonian definition, the term agribusiness signifies large-scale industrial and corporate farming and is contrasted with yeoman or self-sustaining farmers. This critique sees the development of agribusiness as destructive to the American farming ideal that includes agrarian lifestyles and values. In contrast, proponents of the Marxist critique look at agribusiness through the lens of capitalist production, examining food commoditization into the components of agricultural production processes and the consequent social division of labor. This critique focuses on the tribulations of agribusiness as profit is prioritized over consumer and worker health and the environment. A derivative of the Marxist critique, the labor movement focuses on the exploitation of workers by the agribusiness industry. Hence, the term agribusiness refers to the progression of the farm into a modern industrial enterprise and the positive and negative consequences of that progression.