Publications
Publications
- 2010
- HBS Working Paper Series
Commodity Chains: What Can We Learn from a Business History of the Rubber Chain? (1870-1910)
By: Felipe Tamega Fernandes
Abstract
The literature on the rubber boom applied a Dependendist view of rubber production in the Brazilian Amazon. Even though a sizable surplus was generated in the rubber chain, it was mostly appropriated by foreigners. This view is in tune with the Global Commodity Chain approach that argues that manufacturing/core economies absorb the bulk of surplus generated in the commodity chain. This paper challenges both frameworks and asks for a more careful examination of the business history of commodity chains: it is a first step in this direction through an analysis of the relationship between two nodes of the rubber chain.
Keywords
Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business History; Supply Chain; Manufacturing Industry; Rubber Industry; Brazil
Citation
Fernandes, Felipe Tamega. "Commodity Chains: What Can We Learn from a Business History of the Rubber Chain? (1870-1910)." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 10-089, April 2010.