The following chart is based on a study of the foreign investments of the 33 largest U.S. food processing companies active in Latin America. Only 18 of these firms currently have subsidiaries in Colombia and Brazil. The chart underestimates the true extent of U.S. food processing activities since: 1) some U.S.-owned processors in these countries did not figure in the 33 companies we studied; 2) many of the subsidiaries have more than one plant; and 3) it does not include arehousing, importing, and distribution operations. Fuller data on the 33 companies in all Latin American countries will be available in NACLA’s forthcoming book on agribusiness later this year. This chart is based on information from M. Herold, “Multinational Enterprise Data Base,” Economics Department, University of New Hampshire, Dover, NH 1977. Jane Armbruster and Sarah Stewart edited the chart and conducted supplementary research. We would appreciate being notified of any corrections or additions to the chart (NACLA West Agribusiness Project, 464 19th Street, Oakland, CA 94612).
[see PDF for chart]
