Abstract:
This thesis examines global value chain governance theory in the context of sustainability. A case study is presented, using Greenpeace's protests against the New Zealand based broiler chicken value chain to demonstrate the usefulness and applicability of governance theory on an issue related to sustainability. Between 1999 and 2005 Greenpeace protested against the use of genetically modified feed in the New Zealand broiler chicken industry. They staged protests at different levels of the chicken value chain, including the grain importers, the large processors Tegel and Inghams, and finally the large retailers, McDonald's and KFC. These protests provide a unique opportunity to see governance of a large value chain occurring. By forcing the two largest producers of chicken meat to source genetic modification free feed, Greenpeace demonstrated a value chain being governed for sustainability. Global value chain theory can provide insight into the way value chains can be governed to include a heightened responsiveness towards issues of sustainability. This insight can provide the grounds for the expansion of this theory into a new realm and provide practical advice for scholars, legislators and industry alike in making value chains become more sustainable.
