Politics in food markets: alternative modes of qualification and engaging

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly practicing an alternative model of politics when they make food choices influenced by civic concerns. The new markets that emerge in this context carry specific modes of qualification that makes food products valuable not only for their intrinsic properties, but also for features associated with their production and distribution. This paper aims to describe the different modes of political qualification and consumer engagement that operate in food markets based on secondary data collected in papers, books, certification norms, and websites. Three distinct "political food markets" are identified: a) Fair Trade; b) sustainable agriculture; and c) vegetarian. Whilst the latter is based on a boycott of "bad" products, the other two focus on "good" alternatives. Different types of political engagement are associated to these markets, ranging from a delegation form in Fair Trade, empowered consumption in sustainable agriculture, to a lifestyle engagement regarding vegetarianism. Market devices such as certification play a major role in the growth of these markets, but also affect the type of engagement that is solicited from consumers.

Politična participacija mladih onkraj volitev: konceptualni premisleki in izzivi proučevanja

“…Namen pričujočega prispevka je osvetliti prakso etične potrošnje na področju prehrane kot oblike politične participacije oziroma političnega delovanja mladih. Kljub temu, da se etična potrošnja kot praksa povečuje (Summers, 2016;Rezende, 2014) pri skupinah ljudi z višjo kupno močjo, želi pričujoč prispevek osvetliti, kaj etična potrošnja pomeni mladim, kako jo prakticirajo in razumejo ter na kakšen način jo je moč razumeti kot obliko politične participacije.…”

“…V skladu s tem se je etična potrošnja razvila kot uveljavljen način politične participacije (Carolan, 2021). 2 Številni avtorji in avtorice (Micheletti, 2003;Shah idr., 2007;Rezende, 2014;Baumann idr., 2019), nevladne organizacije, oblikovalci in oblikovalke politik ter nekateri potrošniki in potrošnice etično potrošnjo obravnavajo kot učinkovito dejavnost za politično participacijo, ki lahko prinese družbene, politične ali okoljske spremembe. Priče smo upadu zanimanja ljudi in njihovega udejstvovanja v konvencionalnih oblikah politične participacije, kot so volitve, delo v politični stranki ali udeležba na političnem srečanju.…”

“…Obstaja relativno veliko literature, ki raziskuje usmerjenost potrošnikov in potrošnic k različnim oblikam etične potrošnje hrane in dejavnikom, ki jih motivirajo. Etični potrošniki in potrošnice upoštevajo lastnosti, kot so okus ali svežina hrane, skrb za živali in delovni pogoji zaposlenih v prehrambenem sektorju (Baker idr., 2004;Kjaernes, 2012;Rezende, 2014). Toda motivacijski dejavniki, ki so poudarjeni kot prevladujoči med potrošniki in potrošnicami etičnih prehranskih izdelkov, so skrb za individualno zdravje, okolje in deloma tudi dobrobit živali (Micheletti, 2003;Saraiva idr., 2018;Schoolman, 2019;Vezovnik in Kamin, 2021).…”

The value perceived and the sacrifice perceived by vegetarian food consumers

“…In this sense, Rezende (2014) highlights the condition experienced by people who change from an omnivorous diet (diet that includes the consumption of meat and vegetables) to a vegetarian diet, because these individuals also change their buying patterns and, therefore, face problems related to the purchase of products in accordance with its political principles and access to information on products and businesses specialized in vegetarian food.…”

“…Thus, the development of discussions, practices and trends of consumption on the vegetarian diet, are shown in the following marketing actions: at the opening of university courses that address the vegetarian nutrition and animal rights, the increase in the number of vehicles of communication (websites, magazines, and books) addressing the vegetarian cuisine, the growing number of people looking for vegetarian meal outside the domicile (CRAIG; MANGELS, 2009), besides the availability of more information at libraries, bookstores, restaurants, expansion of the number of stores with vegetarian menu, availability of a greater variety of products without meat in traditional food stores and in the increasing of the number of small-sized stores involved with vegetarianism (REZENDE, 2014).…”