The global agro-food system from past to future

Agro-food system refers to a combination of institutions, activities and enterprises that collectively develop and deliver material inputs to the farming sector, produce primary commodities, and subsequently handle, process, transport, market and distribute food and other agro-based products to consumers. At the aim to investigate the building blocks of agro-food system we realize a multilevel analysis of countries, value chains and firms. At macroeconomic level, the paper analyzes main drivers of comparative advantage of main economic areas of the world. Then it evidences the relevance of the domestic and global agro-food value chain. After the historical evolution of agro-food firms, the paper offers a deep analysis of main characteristics of multinationals and small and medium enterprises. This conceptual paper is based on many official documents realized by UNCTAD, UNIDO, EC, World Bank, and FAO that analyze agro-food industry globally. It provides a general framework useful for next studies on agro-food system.