GEOG 210 - Political & Cultural Geography of Globalization

Find research relating to the industries that rely on or utilize a commodity. For most searches, you will use basic keywords to describe the industry (e.g., nickel mining, copper ore, electric vehicles, etc.) in order to locate an industry report. These reports have great information on the supply chain, top companies in that industry, as well as news, trends, and challenges.

This page also provides some potential leads for research focused on the commodity itself. These are most often provided by organizations and associations that focus on humanitarian, environmental, and social aspects of that resource. This list is not comprehensive.

Search these databases for reports and data relating to your commodity and the industries that surround it. For example, if I were researching the impact of electric vehicle battery production, I might search for electric vehicle manufacturing as well as mining industries for phosphate or cobalt ore. 

Browse for research by sector.

Tip: Most of these sites belong to non-profit organizations that track or create sustainable and ethical practices for the sector, but others are associations for firms in that sector. Pay attention to the ownership and mission of the site (read the About pages) to ensure you understand their agenda and intended audience. Are they advocating for that commodity, or bringing attention to issues that the commodity presents? What biases might they have?

Tip: Looking for other sectors? This list is not comprehensive! Try simple searches in your preferred search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) using keywords like your commodity + industry, association, organization, sustainability, etc. e.g., copper association, tuna sustainability.

Tip: Look at product labels for indicators of governing bodies or organizations that certify that product. Search for that organization to find their website.

Agriculture

Livestock, Fisheries

Mining