eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

Objective This study investigates value creation and distribution within the global value chain of the Finnish food industry, especially the bakery and confectionary sectors. The type of governance and opportunities for upgrading within the value chain are two of the discussed issues. The study is part of a research project headed by The Research Institute of The Finnish Economy (ETLA). The project aims to gather similar investigations, in other industries, enabling an economy wide assessment of the current situation of the Finnish value chain.

Methodology Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used in the study. The framework, the analysis is based on, was developed by ETLA during a pilot case study for the project. The framework consists of an interview guideline as well as the quantitative calculation methods to be applied to the data obtained through diverse databases. For this case study four products were analysed and compared. These products were from the different industry sectors, namely two bakery products and two confectionary products. Findings The findings of the study provide an overview of the bakery and confectionary industry segments. Moreover, the results discussed show that the geographical location of the value chain’s stakeholders as well as the type of governance implemented has a direct impact on the creation and distribution of value added.