Does International Agri-Food Marketing Contribute to Gastro-Diplomacy or Does Gastro-Diplomacy Contribute to International Agri-Food Marketing? The Case of Iran

Abstract

International trade has always been a main stay in diplomatic relations between countries and so much so that diplomacy and international trade go hand in hand. Over the past decades there has been a surge in international and global trade that has not been seen previously in history. In particular there has been a growth in international agri-food trade which has enabled populations around the world to taste and experience the global diversity of foods and related cultural characteristics. In this regard, international agri-food marketing has played a role as has gastro-diplomacy in enabling and facilitating such international agri-food trade. Within this background, the research, considers if international agri-food marketing contributes to gastro-diplomacy or if gastro-diplomacy contributes to international agri- food marketing. The research used as a case Iran and found that in terms of if international agri-food
marketing contributes to gastro-diplomacy, the Iranian public sector, to a degree, does conduct and support the first step of international agri-food marketing, exporting, which may go some way to support Iranian gastro-diplomatic efforts. In terms of the Iranian domestic private sector enterprises, it was found that they do conduct international agri-food marketing, in varying degrees, and thus contribute to Iranian gastro-diplomacy to a greater degree than the public sector. Further Iranian private enterprises,
for example restaurants and supermarkets, which operate in foreign countries have a ‘pull effect’ on Iranian international agri-food marketing and thus contribute to Iranian gastro-diplomacy to a greater degree than the public sector. In terms of if gastro-diplomacy contributes to international agri-food marketing, the research found that the Iranian public sector, via its foreign policy and cultural
diplomacy, does directly and indirectly contribute to Iranian international agri-food marketing, but does not support such via a publicly-led gastro-diplomacy programme. The public sector’s foreign policy and cultural diplomacy do support Iranian domestic private enterprises, directly and indirectly, in their international agri-food marketing, but such efforts are not specifically set on gastro-diplomacy. Citizen and people to people gastro-diplomacy and cultural diplomacy in foreign countries, via private enterprises, do also support Iranian international agri-food marketing directly and indirectly.