Cadeias produtivas e a vigilância em saúde, trabalho e ambiente 1 Commodity chain and surveillance in health, work and the environment

Abstract The globalization of the economy has changed the current productive pattern and new commodity chains are a central phenomenon in this new scena -rio. Commodity chains are processes of extraction, production, transport, distribution, consumption and disposal of goods and services. For their de-velopment governments make economic/financial investments, sometimes in direct confrontation with the protection of workers’ health and the environment. This is due to the various social, oc-cupational and environmental hazards, risks and vulnerabilities produced throughout these chains. Surveillance in health, work and the environment has the challenge of facing these complex proble-ms to ensure improvements to the conditions of life. The aim of this theoretical essay is to discuss strategies for surveillance of health, work and the environment, starting from the commodity chain concept as a network of production-consumption. The article presents the major theoretical appro-aches for commodity chains, specifically, Supply Chain, Global Commodity Chain, Filiere Analyses and Agribusiness, highlighting the knowledge are-as involved. The article also discusses the fragility and the incipient intersection of health, work and environment surveillance knowledge and practices with the commodity chain thematic, demonstrating the need to overcome the surveillance of products toward interventions in the entire commodity chain, through joint actions of surveillance organizations of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). Finally, the article also highlights the role of acade -mic circles, health services and populations in the implementation of these surveillances.Keywords: Commodity Chain; Health Surveillance; Environment; Work.