Objectives
Students should have a case study of a TNC
operating in an LEDC
Students should recognise the positive and
negative features of TNCs involvement in
plantation agriculture
Questions from your reading?
What does this image reveal?
Some examples of TNCs involved
in agriculture
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Philip Morris
Unilever
Nestle
Cargill
ICI
Du Pont
Monsato
• Transnational corporations are among the world's
biggest economic institutions. A rough estimate suggests
that the 300 largest TNCs own or control at least onequarter of the entire world's productive assets, worth
about US$5 trillion.1 TNCs' total annual sales are
comparable to or greater than the yearly gross domestic
product (GDP) of most countries (GDP is the total output
of goods and services for final use by a nation's
economy). Itochu Corporation's sales, for instance,
exceed the gross domestic product of Austria, while
those of Royal Dutch/Shell equal Iran's GDP. Together,
the sales of Mitsui and General Motors are greater than
the GDPs of Denmark, Portugal, and Turkey combined,
and US$50 billion more than all the GDPs of the
countries in sub-Saharan Africa.2
How is Agriculture globalised?
The globalisation of food production.
1. On a world map note down where Unilever’s
plantations can be found using figure 8.25.
2. Then read the article on Unilever pages 110 to
112 of Agriculture and food.
3. Where do you think the head quarters of
Unilever can be found?
4. Get into 2 groups, one arguing for the
presence of firms like Unilever in agriculture,
the other against. You are to prepare notes for
your case.
Discussion on “Should Unilever be
involved in Tanzania?”.
“Unilever – food for the people?”