A network of organizations and production processes resulting in a finished commodity (Ponte (2002) World Dev. 30); a chain of nodes from raw material exploitation, primary processing, through different stages of trade, services, and manufacturing processes to final consumption and waste disposal (Brown et al. (2006) GaWC Res. Bull. 236). Some have argued that the more inclusive language of value chains should replace the more specific concept of commodity chain.

Smith et al. (2002) PHG 26, 1 identify limitations to the global commodity chain framework: a limited treatment of both the state and the labour process in governing the organization of productive systems; problems of linearity and dualism; and the problematic conception of the geographies of linkages in commodity chains. See J. Bair (2009) on frontiers of commodity chain research.