SEMINAR SERIES
Economic and Business History Seminar
Dr Ezgi B. Unsal（Lecturer, Department of Economics, SOAS, University of London）
- Date&Time:
- 2026.6.1 (Mon.) 15:00 - 16:30
- Venue:
- Refresh Room (Room 817) on 8F, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics, East Bldg., Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University *Pre-registration is required
- Language:
- English
- Contact:
- Takafumi KUROSAWA
(Title) ： ”Beyond the Buyer-Driven Model: A Case Study of Overproduction and Industrial Upgrading in the Textile and Apparel Industry”
Abstract : Since the 2000s, the textile and apparel industry have been primarily analysed through the lens of the Global Value Chains (GVC) literature. As the global organisation of production and associated divergent development trajectories became apparent following the Asian financial crisis, GVC analysis gained prominence by providing an interdisciplinary framework for how different forms of integration into global production networks shape long-term growth strategies.
This article critiques the GVC approach for overemphasising demand and consumption dynamics and industrial upgrading in “buyer-driven value chains”, while neglecting sector-specific production dynamics. Specifically, upgrading is often presented as a linear and universally beneficial process, also assumed to improve sustainability through efficiency gains.
Using the Turkish textile and apparel industry as a case study, the article argues that production structures, especially rising capital intensity in segments such as spinning and finishing, create inherent pressures toward overproduction. High fixed costs and limited flexibility of higher capital-intensity sub-sectors make it difficult for firms to adjust output in response to demand fluctuations. As a result, overproduction emerges as a structural feature of the industry, potentially driving overconsumption and undermining the sustainability gains associated with industrial upgrading.
If you would like to participate in this seminar, please register yourself from the weblink below by Thursday, May 28th. :
A social gathering will follow the seminar. （around 5 p.m.）
Please join us if you are available.
https://forms.gle/F8cKWiVDicWEu5xYA