| Viewed as one means to achieve a more predictable and efficient trade system, standards and standardization are increasingly important for global agriculture and food (agri-food) trade. Despite their increasing importance, standards are often overlooked by social scientists as merely technical details. Using theoretical insights from the Sociology of Agriculture and Food, Social Studies of Science and Technology, and the diverse scholarly literature focusing on standards, this dissertation explores a range of cultural, economic, political and ethical issues surrounding the adoption of standards for the purposes of global trade. Qualitative methodology is utilized to study the entire South Africa red meat commodity network (e.g., producers, processors, and consumers) and the consequences that specific standards have on diverse actors within the network. An analysis of food safety and quality standards in the South African red meat industry within the context of global trade reveals the ways in which standards encourage and discourage the participation of more marginalized actors within the agri-food network. In addition, despite the marginal status of a large number of South African consumers, this work reveals that consumers play an integral part in shaping the future of South Africa's red meat industry. This dissertation contributes to a broader understanding of the politics of standards and the ways in which standards shape local and global agri-food networks. |
