Kate MacDonald 
The Politics of Global Supply Chains 

The Politics of Global Supply Chains analyses the changing
politics of power and distribution within contemporary global
supply chains. Drawing on over 300 interviews with farmers,
workers, activists, businesses and government officials in garment
and coffee sector supply chains, the book shows how the increased
involvement of non-state actors in supply chain governance is
re-shaping established patterns of global political power,
responsibility and accountability.

These emerging supply chain governance systems are shown to be
multi-layered and politically contested, as transnational
governance schemes interact with traditional state governance
arrangements in both complementary and conflicting ways. The
book’s analysis of changes to the relationship between state
and non-state actors within transnational governance processes will
be of particular interest to scholars and students of
globalisation, global governance and regulation.

The Politics of Global Supply Chains also suggests some
practical ways by which the effectiveness and accountability of
supply chain governance could be strengthened, which will interest
both scholars and practitioners in fields of global business
regulation and corporate social responsibility. Conclusions are
relevant to the business and civil society actors who participate
directly in non-state governance schemes, and to state regulators
whose distinctive governance capacities could play a much greater
role than at present in supporting transnational, non-state
governance processes.

Tabella dei contenuti

Acronyms vii

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction: The Politics of Global Supply Chains 1

1 Power and Governance in Garment Supply Chains 18

2 The Emergence of Non-State Governance: Anti-Sweatshop
Campaigns 44

3 The Private Sector Response: Codes of Conduct 71

4 Dispersed Power Within Coffee Supply Chains 87

5 The Transformative Challenge: Fair Trade as an
‘Alternative’ Institutional Model 103

6 Starbucks CAFÉ Practices: The ‘Responsible’
Corporation Responds 129

7 Interaction Between Initiatives: Diffusing Change Beyond
‘Niche’ Supply Chains 147

8 Lessons and Synthesis: Power, Responsibility and Governance
Beyond the State 165

Conclusion: Ongoing Political Contests in Global Supply Chains
191

Notes 194

References 222

Index 245

Circa l’autore

Kate Macdonald is Lecturer in the Political and Social Sciences at the University of Melbourne.