A passage from the reading that I found particularly interesting was the former presence of melamine in milk and baby formula. This dangerous chemical can lead to illness and death, and after 300,000 illnesses and 6 infant mortalities, the Chinese government rearranged it's food inspection system. This is a good example of government response to public outcry. It also shows how the government in China, a country with a seemingly completely open market, is forced to regulate and inspect some products to protect its' consumers.
An example from this reading that demonstrates the interaction between multinational firms, economics, and culture is the example of organic foods in Walmart. Because of widespread distrust of local markets - and their bad reputation for mixing rotten produce in with the bad - consumers rely on big names like Walmart to sell reliable products that are certified organic. With the rising demand for natural and organic products, Walmart has been feeling pressure to make sure these products are available. In 2007, Walmart established the Direct Farm Program which enables the company to work directly with local farms through co-ops. This 'eliminates pieces of the supply chain that are not productive, as well as raising farmer's income... and giving them increased market access.' This also allows Walmart to get fresher produce to cut down on food spoilage to reduce waste and lower prices. With this increased pressure for increased sustainability, Walmart puts pressure on local farms to grow natural and organic products. An example of this is Dalian Glory Times Logistics Company.
In Senegal, multinational firms have impacted economics to an extent. Legislation that allowed foreign trawlers to fish outside Dakar have led to a decline in the amount of fish in the area, better known as tragedy of the commons. This has also affected Senegalese fishing companies by decreasing the supply of fish drastically, and leading to a nation-wide seafood shortage.
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