Dynamics in trade streams in international food supply networks. The case of fresh produce, meat, and cereals

The identification of the most relevant agri-food trade streams serves as the foundation and shows the trading volume in selected countries on which the later research of project e-Trust is based, with particular consideration of the specific role of trust in these transactions and its transfer in e-commerce afterwards. For the elaboration of the data collection, mainly the international statistical database of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOSTAT) is used as a common basis of the comparison. The procedure has been applied to six European traders in agricultural products (Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Greece and Spain) and three non-European countries (USA, Brazil and Turkey). According to the statistical sources mentioned above, primary commodities are grouped into four categories: cereals, meat, fruit and vegetables, and olive oil. The findings of the trade streams analysis shows that the trade structures in the selected countries are diverse, and there is a complex picture. Wheat and maize are major primary cereal commodities which are imported as well as exported. Most imports and exports of meat are of cattle, pigs or chickens. Overlapping trade streams could be identified between some countries, such as Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain. The outcome of the trade streams analysis derives industry measures to enhance sustainable introduction of e-commerce. The identification of the most relevant agri-food trade streams serves as the foundation and shows the trading volume in selected countries on which the later research of project e-Trust is based, with particular consideration of the specific role of trust in these transactions and its transfer in e-commerce afterwards. In this chapter, the focus is on the size of trade streams regarding agri-food products in selected countries on a yearly basis and shows the potential for the introduction of e-commerce.