Examine the geography of a commodity.

The objective of this assignment is to get you to examine the geography of a commodity. To begin, select one particular commodity and explore the patterns of its origin and its consumption by identifying this commodity’s main exporters and importers. Then examine the geographical patterns of paths that this commodity takes from examples of its main points of origin and consumption. You are free to select a commodity of your choosing among a wide range of agricultural products. In selecting a commodity you should avoid something as broad as ‘fruit’ or ‘beverages’ and narrow your focus to a particular product such as sugar, tea, bananas, or coffee.
In completing the assignment you should be sure to address the following questions:
1. Where is the commodity produced?
Describe the geography of production. What are the major places, countries and world regions where the commodity is produced?
2. Where is the commodity consumed?
Where are the major markets for the commodity?.
For questions 1 and 2, refer to import and export data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx
3. What are the major trade flows exhibited by the commodity?
What does the pattern of trade in the commodity look like? Which countries and regions of the world are the most significant exporters and which are the major importers?
For question 3, use the FAO Detailed World Agricultural Trade Flows mapping tool:
http://faostat.fao.org/DesktopModules/Faostat/WATFDetailed2/watf.aspx?PageID=536
4. How can we best explain or account for the geographic patterns displayed by the trade of this commodity? What economic characteristics of the countries that serve as main points of origin and consumption, and of the production of the commodity itself, that help explain these geographic patterns?
In order to answer this question you will need to draw on both the popular press – newspapers and periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Economist – and academic sources. Drawing on these sources will enable you to construct an argument concerning the geographies of the commodity you chose and to provide the empirical evidence to support it. List at least three academic sources, whether in book or journal article form.
2
40% or your grade is based on your description of the commodity’s production and consumption. 40% of your grade is based on your explanation of the geography of the commodity’s production and consumption. What accounts for the fact that the commodity is concentrated in certain regions and countries and not others? 20% of your grade is based on the presentation of the material. The paper should be text based but, where appropriate, you might incorporate maps, tables and figures into the text. The length should be 3-4 double-spaced pages.
In seeking to explain the geographic patterns displayed by the origin and consumption of the commodity you chose you should investigate the various factors associated with the production and exchange (trade) of the commodity. What are the labor costs involved in producing the commodity and how important are they in determining the geography of production? In other cases the geography of the commodity’s production may well be tied to questions of climate. And in some instances certain trade or foreign investment policies may a factor in shaping the geography of its production. The location of the major markets commonly, but not always, has a bearing on the geography of commodities. You should also examine whether, and to what extent, political factors shape the global geography of the commodity.
In short, there is no one standard explanation of the geography of economic activity and you will find that different commodities exhibit quite different geographic patterns.
Be sure to cite the sources that you use.