Invisible Giant: Cargill and its Transnational Strategies (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The authoritative trade journal-of-record for the 'grain-based foods' industry, Milling & Baking News, summed up the current situation of this sector of the food system..." (more)
Key Phrases: North America, South America, Baking News (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent book which draws readers into an Orwellian 1984 environment and leaves shivers. Don't read it alone." -- Republican News

"Brewster Kneen's strong analysis of Cargill should be required reading for anyone interested in how we get our food." -- Catholic New Times

"People who are concerned about the influence of corporations...could hardly find a better primer on corporate thinking and conduct..." -- The Boycott Quarterly

Product Description

Transnational corporations straddle the globe, largely unseen by the public. Cargill, with its headquarters in the US, is the largest private corporation in North America, and possibly in the world. Cargill trades in food commodities and produces a great many of them: grains, flour, malt, corn, cotton, salt, vegetable oils, fruit juices, animal feeds, and meat. Among its most profitable activities is its trade in the global financial markets. There are few national economies unaffected by Cargill's activities, and few eaters in the North whose food does not pass through Cargill's hands at some point. Yet Cargill remains largely invisible to most people and accountable to no one outside the company.

This is the second edition of an explosive book that breaks the silence on the true extent of Cargill's power and influence worldwide -- its ability to shape national policies, and the implications of these strategies for all of us. Thoroughly revised and updated, 'Invisible Giant' offers shocking new evidence of Cargill's activities since the book was first published in 1995. Kneen examines how it has succeeded in eliminating competition by undertaking joint ventures with virtually all of its supposed competitors. He shows how this massive corporation continues to acquire and divest, extending its grip even further in what amounts to almost total control of the global food system.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press; Second Edition edition (October 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745319580
• ISBN-13: 978-0745319582
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gilmpse Inside the Giant, December 3, 2002

By	John D. Longwell (Poncha Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

No other company epitomizes the global concentration in worldwide commodity trading and processing like Cargill. Although it's the largest privately-held company in the world, few people realize the scope of Cargill's activities or its influence on the food we eat and even the salt we put on our roads in the wintertime.

Kneen's second edition of this book, published in early 2002, is timely and poignant. Even though at times it reads almost like a textbook, Kneen's work meticulously describes Cargill's business segments and its geographic reach. Cargill's classic approach is to enter a market in a modest way and establish a "beachhead." From there, it expands its ownership and influence, often becoming the dominant force in an industry. In addition, Cargill has the political muscle to affect public policy towards trade and agriculture, not only at the Federal level in the U. S., but also through state, provincial and local governments worldwide.

Although no fan of Cargill or big agribusiness in general, Kneen nevertheless presents a fairly balanced, at times almost antiseptic analysis of this secretive and very powerful company.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the influence of large corporations on key economic sectors - especially agriculture.