Such already explains how the concept of globalization has facilitated the relocation of goods from their original center of production to other markets. Additionally, the production of fast foods as well as other food items relates to globalization in the form of migration of human labor, displacement of individuals from their original land of residence, and the concept of global circulation of the workforce. Such shifts resulting from the dynamics associated with production have to do with the nature in which large organizations and brands such as The Yum Brands can control the global markets of their agribusiness products.
Also, the image of Yum Brands represents an aspect of poverty whereby original production is conducted in countries that can offer labor that is not expensive before the products get shipped to the market countries. Also, the production targets areas with low tax rates regarding the costs of production and exportation that in the end leave the host with no profound economic benefits. Such occurrences place the labor market at risk of being made informal because individuals only participate in the process of production not as professionals, but as people in need of the basic wages that get offered by such big companies as The Yum Brands
The Concepts of Globalization Represented by the Yum Brand Image
1. The Globalization of Food
The common types of food that form the daily meals of the human being such as the fast foods are a product of globalization even though many people are not aware of this scenario. Evidently, items of food may be a useful topic for the exploration of the actual meaning of the term globalization because it brings out the complex nature of a phenomenon that receives simple word descriptions. Food represents a valuable resource that drives the development of various economies in the world, systems of ecology, political policy, religion, and advances in technology (Grew 210). When the Yum brand was in its initial stages of getting established, it was only a product of a single part of the universe, the United States of America.
Ultimately, the brand slowly metamorphosed and presently operates in 130 countries in the world. Therefore, going back to the concept of globalization, the spread of food items from one locality to the next is a representation of the sharing of a common marker of identity through various cultures that would appear as not being similar in their ways of life. Even though there is the emphasis on cultural variation, some themes that are common emerge. For example, the impacts of international trade on food items, agricultural production, and the global corporate food industry (Grew 211). Additionally, about the phenomenon of fast food production, various matters of concern arise for example genetic modification of crops, the development of lifestyle illnesses as a result of diet, the destruction of the environment to further agricultural prospects, and global trade. The issues mentioned above of concern are a matter of globalization that indicate the impact of the agricultural activity on globalization.
Neoliberalism and Globalization
The overall objective of neoliberalism globalization and inequalities is to provide an explanation for its effects on the health and quality of life through the critical analysis of the policies of the western world (Aiello 16). The 2008 global financial downturn is considered as one of the outcomes of more than 30 years of globalization policies that are neoliberal relating to the industry of food production. Therefore, as widespread interest in the field of agriculture and food production continues to grow, social movements have also built to attempt to improve the ways food items get produced, processed, sold, and consumed. Thus, in the leading countries of the world, the systems of production of food items revolve around food justice that has to do with how race, class, and gender affect who produces and consumes what kind of food items. The Yum Brand represents globalization in that the production and consumption of its fast foods are universal, therefore enabling its penetration into various countries of the world. Therefore, global activists that deal with the issue of food justice work around three approaches to enhance the global marketplace; cooperative ownership, organizing labor, and advocating for the right technologies in the production of food. The challenge of neoliberalism, however, arises from with the movement of free labor through outsourcing, the regulation of standards for production and quality, safety, packaging and convenience (Aiello 16).
3. Food aid and Globalization
The involvement of the Yum Brand in the global market represents attempts by international firms to curb the problem of hunger across the globe. Nevertheless, one of the solutions toward the issue of hunger is doing more than sending emergency food relief to countries facing famine. Yum Brands are involved in such efforts by for example ensuring that production is done in various countries. Additionally, the consumption of its products occurs in many nations in the world. According to Holt-Giménez (Para. 1), it is essential that leaders address the system of globalized food item production and trade to favor products that are corporate and world market-oriented such as those handled by The Yum Brands.
According to Oshaug (Para 1), the globalization of modern food aid has experienced significant alterations from the 1990s. Currently, the process is influenced by political, agricultural, economic, and trade features that call for multiple regulatory policies. Such policies should aim at regulating the skewed nature of agricultural policies, a business that is not equitable, and development that is not sustainable. Also, through globalization, the phenomenon of hunger has resulted in multinational corporations concerned with the production and distribution of food items rich and thereby promoting the economies of other nations.
3. Outsourcing
Outsourcing refers to the act of relocating the production of goods and services as a strategy to reduce the costs involved so as to increase the flexibility of operations for an organization. Through outsourcing, multinational firms such as The Yum Brands contribute to the development of trade in foreign countries by the liberalization of the transfer of goods and services (Segouin 277-279). Nevertheless, outsourcing can get viewed as detrimental to countries that are still undergoing development because resources and labor receive pay that is not at par with international standards.
The process that involves companies shifting production to other nations has gotten adopted for two main reasons; the facilitation of the mobility of labor that is cheap and the privatization of countries. The Yum Brands are therefore capable of outsourcing for labor and other materials necessary for production as a means to reduce production costs that in turn spreads the popularity of the brand throughout the world.
Works Cited
Aiello, A. E. "Neoliberalism, Globalization, and Inequalities: Consequences for Health and Quality Of Life." Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 63.2 (2008): 16. Web. 19 May 2016.
Grew, Raymond. "The Globalization of Food (Review)." Technology and Culture 52.1 (2011): 210-211. Web. 19 May 2016.
Holt-Giménez, Eric. "The World Food Crisis: What Is Behind it and What We Can Do - World Hunger.” World Hunger. N.P., 2008. Web. 19 May 2016.
Oshaug, Arne. "The changing face of food aid." African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Development 2.1 (2002): n. page. Web. 19 May 2016.
Segouin, C. "Globalization in Health Care: Is International Standardization of Quality: A Step toward Outsourcing?” International Journal for Quality in Health Care 17.4 (2005): 277-279. Web. 19 May 2016.
Stephens, Henria. "Pulling Back the Peel: Revealing the Globalized System of Banana Production." Elements.nb.ca. N.P., 2006. Web. 18 May 2016.
