• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.585-596
• /
• 2013

This study aims to identify the process by which local farmers are integrated into the transnational agri-food system. To that end, this study investigated the purpose and reality of the contract farming for Gold Kiwifruit between Zespri International, a transnational fruit producer based in New Zealand, and farmers in Seogwipo-si, Jeju Island. Through this contract farming, Jeju farmers were contributing to Zespri's global distribution strategy and helping the corporation meet local demand. In the process, local farmers were being integrated into the transnational agri-food system led by Zespri. In the cooperation between these two parties, the company took a limited role in providing production resources, and it consulted local producers in applying production technologies to local sites. Thanks to such practices, the company's influence on local farming was limited, and local farmers were able to function proactively in production. Therefore, the company and the farmers maintained a horizontal relationship.