NSF Award
2401706
This research studies how decisions in industry influence the movement of people, animals, and resources into rural America. The specific research questions pursued are: (1) How are multinational companies in the food sector shaping land use in rural areas of the US? (2) What are the stated and tacit reasons why such multinational companies open facilities in sparsely populated rural areas? (3) How are federal-and state-specific decisions related to this industry’s labor needs? (4) What measures have public officeholders taken to shape location and labor supply decisions for these facilities? and (5) How do the strategies used at different rural industry sites help us understand the human, non-human, and ecological advantages and disadvantages of the contemporary protein industry and supply chain? <br/><br/>Methodologically, the project focuses on roughly 54 facilities, nested within 20 counties between two US states. These two distinctive regions allow for a comparison between states where relevant rules differ. Data collection includes two years of participant observation at industry meetings; ethnographic interviews with industry representatives; ethnographic interviews with community groups, public officials, and community members; analysis of descriptive statistics; and critical analysis of public documents. Though qualitative in focus, the research is triangulated with quantitative secondary data from governmental and publicly available sources. Conducting research in these two regions allows for the comparison of industry strategies in a manner that accounts for both hyperlocal impacts and transnational industry trends, while offering practical and translatable findings for local constituencies.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
