Globalizing Shrimp: Florida’s “Wild & Wonderful Shrimp” Program

This paper examines Florida’s response to the globalization of the shrimp industry. The U.S. shrimp market has been dramatically transformed by the expansion of aquaculture-produced shrimp in Asia and Latin America as processing and transportation technologies deliver this high-value food to U.S. markets. Florida shrimpers sell wild-caught shrimp sourced from the ocean and are experiencing great difficulty competing with the cheaper imports. The State of Florida developed the “Wild and Wonderful Shrimp” Program as a response to this situation and to aid Florida shrimpers. This program illustrates a role for the state as a promoter and facilitator—that is, a purveyor for the Florida shrimp industry. We examine the “Wild and Wonderful Shrimp” Program and its geographic strategy to influence how consumers think about shrimp as a way to shape the market to benefit Florida shrimpers.