FORDISM, FLEXIBLE SPECIALIZATION AND AGRI-INDUSTRIAL RESTRUCTURING - THE CASE OF THE UNITED-STATES BROILER INDUSTRY

This paper examines the US broiler industry iri the context of post- Fordism; specifically the geography, historical development, and economic restructuring of broiler production. This highly capitalized, vertically integrated, mass-production industry is 'an important case study, both of the historical development of mass consumption food industries in the US and of the capitalist restructuring of agriculture. Doubts about the post-Fordist notion of 'flexible specialization' are raised in light of the example of the broiler industry. 'rhe investigation focuses on the geographical concentration of the broiler industry in the South and the effects of technological innovation on the industry's rapid growth. This includes a look at the industry's response to, and influence on, changing modes of distribution and consumption. Recent developments in the Asian and Mexican broiler industries and their relationship to the US industry are also considered.