The food system involves all of the steps required to produce food and get it to our plates–from farming and processing to distribution and consumption.

Graphic above: The Food System – Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Social Issues Team and Elliott Kuhn (graphic artist), 2004.

Agricultural Treadmills

PDF version of Agricultural Treadmills

For more detail see: Howard, Philip H. 2009. Visualizing Consolidation in the Global Seed Industry: 1996–2008. Sustainability 1(4), 1266-1287; Cochrane, Willard W. 1958. Farm Prices: Myth and Reality. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

PDF version of Connect Four: The Percentage of Sales Controlled by the Top Companies in Specific Food Sectors

Data: Hendrickson, Mary, and Bill Heffernan. 2005. Concentration of Agricultural Markets Table. Available: http://www.foodcircles.missouri.edu/CRJanuary05.pdf

Poultry Networks

Typical relations among broiler growers, integrators and other agents in broiler growing networks. For more detail see: Networks, Power and Dependency in the Agrifood Industry, by Harvey S. James, Jr., Mary K. Hendrickson and Philip H. Howard (2013).

Beef Networks

Typical relations among cattle growers, feedlots and other agents in beef cattle networks. For more detail see: Networks, Power and Dependency in the Agrifood Industry, by Harvey S. James, Jr., Mary K. Hendrickson and Philip H. Howard (2013).

Commodity Crop Networks

Typical relations among farmers and other agents in corn and soybean commodity crop growing networks. For more detail see: Networks, Power and Dependency in the Agrifood Industry, by Harvey S. James, Jr., Mary K. Hendrickson and Philip H. Howard (2013).