Publications

April 1991 (Revised January 1997)
Case

Beatrice Companies--1985

By: David J. Collis

Describes the history of Beatrice Companies from its beginning as a dairy in 1891 to 1985, when the company was a $12 billion conglomerate. Focuses on the corporate strategies that Beatrice followed under each of its CEOs and concentrates on the company's strategic... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

1982
Chapter

The Capacity Expansion Process in a Growing Oligopoly: The Case of Corn Wet Milling

By: A. Michael Spence and M. E. Porter

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Food; Performance Capacity; Expansion; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

2018
Book

Food Citizenship: Food System Advocates in an Era of Distrust

By: Ray A. Goldberg

The global food system is the largest segment of the world's economy. As agribusiness-studies pioneer Ray Goldberg suggests, it is also the largest health system on the planet. And it is changing fast. Its size and importance to human, environmental, and economic... View Details

Keywords: Food; System; Global Range; Health; Environmental Sustainability; Development Economics; Partners and Partnerships; Public Opinion; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

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September 2006
Case

Earthbound Farm

By: William A. Sahlman and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Describes a set of decisions confronting the senior management of Earthbound Farm, the largest organic produce company in the world. Focuses on what to do with an East Coast distribution center that is losing money but may be useful strategically. View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Distribution; Food; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Management Teams; Capital Budgeting; Business or Company Management; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

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December 2019
Supplement

Mãe Terra and Unilever (B)

By: Lynn S. Paine, Ruth Costas and Mariana Cal

Unilever is making strides to integrate the operations of Mãe Terra—one of Brazil's leading brands for packaged organic foods—into its own structures, after acquiring the company in 2017. Mãe Terra’s CEO, Alexandre Borges, must decide whether to implement his original... View Details

Keywords: Brand Management; Sustainability; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Environmental Sustainability; Organizational Culture; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Brazil; Latin America

December 2019 (Revised June 2021)
Case

Mãe Terra and Unilever (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine, Ruth Costas and Priscilla Zogbi

The case concerns the sale of Mãe Terra, one of Brazil's leading brands for packaged organic foods, to the consumer goods giant Unilever in 2017. Working with Unilever management, Mãe Terra’s CEO Alexandre Borges must determine whether and how to keep Mãe Terra's B... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Brand Management; Sustainability; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Environmental Sustainability; Organizational Culture; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Brazil; Latin America

January 2025
Technical Note

U.S. and Global Agriculture: The Next Four Years

By: Forest Reinhardt, Sarah Dankens and Natalie Kindred

Keywords: Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States

10 Apr 2013
News

Tapped In

ARIAS-KING: Planting pine trees to promote social change. Photo Courtesy of Fredo Arias-King Fredo Arias-King (MBA 1996) President of Texas's T&R Chemicals, is aware that—outside of his industry—people aren't necessarily cognizant of the historical and cultural... View Details

Keywords: pine resin; Agriculture; Agriculture; Agriculture; Agriculture

22 Apr 2020
Research Event

How Investors Are Sizing Up Climate Change’s Risks—and Opportunities

Until a few years ago, climate change’s potential impact seemed abstract for many investors. Now, as sea levels rise, hurricanes intensify, and droughts threaten food supplies, many investors are confronting its financial realities. But it’s not a simple calculation.... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Financial Services

01 Jun 2019
News

City on a Hill

more than $1 million in grants to renovate the aging West Wind dormitory, provide technical assistance to local farmers, and establish a commercial kitchen that local growers can use to make value-added agricultural products; turned the... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; photographed by Clay Cook

01 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

Does Market Capitalism Have a Future?

migrants, both in agriculture and in high tech. Many are worried that U.S. politicians will respond with populist policies. Problems aside, isn't capitalism on balance achieving great results? Absolutely. It is an unparalleled engine of... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons

24 Jan 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research: January 24, 2017

introduces the product in China, he wonders if the product will be as successful as InMobi anticipates. Purchase this case: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/516030-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 617-020 Indigo Agriculture... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

03 Mar 2015
First Look

First Look: March 3

industries such as agriculture and biofuels. As GenapSys came closer to releasing its product, Esfandyarpour and his Senior Director of Operations and Strategy, Leila Rastegar (HBS '11), sat down to decide which of three business models... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2024 (Revised April 2024)
Supplement

From "BIG" Ideas to Sustainable Impact at ICL Group (B)

By: Linda A. Hill and Lydia Begag

In August 2023, Raviv Zoller, CEO of ICL Group, discussed his upcoming business trip to St. Louis with Eduard Croitoru, VP of ICL Corporate Initiatives, to commemorate the construction of ICL's new $400 million advanced manufacturing facility. In preparation for the... View Details

February 2014
Case

BGI: Data-driven Research

By: Willy Shih and Sen Chai

BGI has the largest installed gene-sequencing capacity in the world, and to Zhang Gengyun, general manager of the Life Sciences Division, this represented an opportunity to apply his training as a plant breeder and his early career work as a biochemist to improving... View Details

December 2020 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Arcos Dorados: A QSR Recovery Plan

By: Forest Reinhardt, José B. Alvarez, Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago and Mariana Cal

Arcos Dorados—McDonald’s largest independent franchisee, covering Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)—faced a pandemic that was disrupting the entire consumer foodservice business in 2020. With the exclusive right to own, operate, and sub-franchise McDonald’s... View Details