Traditionally, rural scholarship has been limited in its methodological approach. This has begun to change in recent years as rural researchers have embraced a range of different methodological tools. The aim of this article is to contribute to greater methodological pluralism in rural sociology by introducing readers to a method of research that is rarely engaged in the field, that is, Q methodology. The article describes the defining features of the approach as well as providing examples of its application to argue that it is a method that offers particular opportunities and synergies for rural social science research.
Globally, Padrón peppers are a widely known vegetable. Unknown to most, its origin lies in a small village, Herbón, located on the outskirts of the town of Padrón (Galicia, North‐West Spain). Local farmers have faced serious problems due to competition with producers from elsewhere commercialising peppers as ‘Padron’. In response, local farmers sought to protect the specificities of the place of origin, a claim leading to the achievement of a geographical indication (GI) label in 2009. This initiative has been controversial, as the name of the pepper and the town were appropriated by a private company, and the GI boundaries were disputed by producers across Galicia. In the context of recent theoretical discussions on food studies, this article makes use of a territorial/spatial approach that integrates Anglophone and Francophone literature to develop a transversal explanation of the development of the GI designation. The institutional landscape, the negotiation of the GI specificities of the food, the local food culture and the collective action of farmers are revealed as key issues in its evolution and establishment.
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