Abstract
Food supply chain theory and practice assumes that the processes involved are legal and value adding. In this paper, using examples from the UK halal (sheep) meat supply chain, we outline a value extracting value chain through a mixed methods qualitative approach consisting of face-to-face-interviews and a documentary research strategy underpinned by Narrative Inquiry. Building on previous theoretical work on Illegal Rural Enterprise, we present a narrative of an individual rogue-farmer, and explore his involvement in the illegal halal (‘smokies’) trade over a fifteen-year period. The paper provides a compelling story that will enable investigators to better understand illegal enterprise from a supply chain perspective and more adequately address the concerns stated in the UK Fraud Act 2006. The paper will be useful to food standards agencies in that furthers our understanding of entrepreneurial practice and morality in the food industry. The results demonstrate that illegal rural enterprise is a multi-faceted concept that requires an understanding of business practices and processes alongside a multi-agency approach to enterprise orientated crime. Our approach suggests that supply chains can be ‘flipped’ in order to understand illegal processes in addition to conventional legal processes.
Highlights
Despite the increasing number of articles in this journal relating to food fraud (Rouvière, 2012; Manning and Soon, 2016; Manning et al, 2016) the subject of crime, in particular food crime and food fraud seldom feature in the wider academic literature on farming or food policy
Building on previous theoretical work on Illegal Rural Enterprise, we present a narrative of an individual rogue-farmer, and explore his involvement in the illegal halal (‘smokies’) trade over a fifteen-year period
The results demonstrate that illegal rural enterprise is a multi-faceted concept that requires an understanding of business practices and processes alongside a multi-agency approach to enterprise orientated crime
Summary
Despite the increasing number of articles in this journal relating to food fraud (Rouvière, 2012; Manning and Soon, 2016; Manning et al, 2016) the subject of crime, in particular food crime and food fraud seldom feature in the wider academic literature on farming or food policy. In the UK, all animals must be stunned before slaughter unless they are destined for the halal (or kosher) market In such cases, there are provisions in place that permit animal slaughter without prior stunning to protect the rights of minorities and enable religious freedoms (Lever and Miele, 2012). Religious slaughter must take place at an Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouse; be conducted by someone with a certificate of competence (CoC); in a way that follows Jewish or Islamic religious practice; and the meat produced must be for consumption by Jews or Muslims (DEfRA, 2015)
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