Gala Apples Commodity Chain Analysis

When people walk through their local grocery stores they tend to shop for the items that they need for the week -- just grabbing what they need and moving on. There are many different brands of each food to choose from, but people probably don’t think about where the product comes from. One commodity that people may decide on purchasing without thinking about where they come from are Gala Apples. Gala Apples go through many steps to get from production in New Zealand to local grocery stores in the US. This process affects many people -- laborers, consumers, and the corporation as a whole -- while also affecting the environment. Gala Apples are one of the most well known brands of apple in the United States because of their thin, “yellow skin with pink to red stripes and... mildly sweet taste,” (“Apples,” 2007) with a light hint of a honey smell and soft texture. Many Americans buy Gala Apples to eat, but where do these really come from and what goes into their production to get them to our local grocery stores?

Gala Apples were originally grown in New Zealand and were first developed in 1934. They are, “a cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red... and currently one of the most extensively grown apples in the world” (“Gala Apples,” 2013). They are also, “a parent to several other varieties such as the Jazz, Royal Gala and Pacific Rose.” (“Gala Apples”, 2013). Hawkes Bay -- in the center of the north island and north part of the south island -- is the major apple growing district for New Zealand because of its Mediterranean climate that makes it perfect apple growing weather. A tree census in 2000-2001 showed, “New Zealand has 1163 half acres,” (Andrews) dedicated to apple orchards and this number only continues to grow. A large portion of this land contains Gala Apples because this type of apple is so popular for New Zealand and each tree can produce up to 1000 fruit. In order to control pests destroying the fruit, it can, “require up to 23...