MARKETING MECHANISMS OF VALUE TRANSFORMATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL AGRIFOOD SYSTEM: FROM VALUE CHAINS TO DIGITAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS
Abstract
The international agrifood sector is undergoing a structural shift from commodity-based competition to value-based strategies. Firms increasingly gain advantage not only through production and technological capabilities, but through their ability to convert these capabilities into market-valued customer propositions. However, the marketing mechanisms enabling such conversion remain insufficiently systematised across different agrifood business models. This article develops a comparative typology of value transformation mechanisms based on a qualitative case study of six global agrifood corporations: Nestlé, Danone, Cargill, Bunge, Syngenta, and Tyson Foods. The companies were selected through purposeful sampling to ensure variation in chain position, customer type, and strategic orientation. The study draws on corporate disclosures, peer-reviewed literature, and industry reports. A six-dimensional analytical matrix was applied across the cases, covering value base, conversion mechanism, target market, value capture evidence, digital layer, and governance layer. The analysis identifies three main models of value transformation. In the brand-centric model, represented by Nestlé and Danone, marketing transforms technological competence into perceived consumer value through brand architecture, health positioning, and ESG-based trust. In the integrated-chain model, represented by Cargill and Bunge, value is transformed through reliability, infrastructure control, scale, and risk management in B2B relationships. In the innovation-technological model, illustrated by Syngenta, agronomic expertise and digital platforms create farmer-facing ecosystem value. Tyson Foods occupies a transitional position, combining vertical integration, branded products, and ready-to-eat formats. The findings show that digitalisation does not replace traditional marketing mechanisms but amplifies them differently across business models. The proposed typology offers a framework for understanding how agrifood companies can move from commodity logic toward value-based strategies through mechanisms aligned with their technological base, market position, and customer relationships.
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