Food sufficiency, an approach rooted in the ethics of Epicurus: Analysis framework and research agenda

Abstract

Against the backdrop of an ecological crisis, we must transform our consumption patterns to ensure long-term sustainability. By reducing the negative impact of our food on health and the social and biospheric environment, food sufficiency is one way to achieve this transformation. However, this raises a major question about the compatibility of food sufficiency with pleasure – that is, one traditional pillar of ‘eating well’. At the crossroads of philosophy and marketing, this theoretical research draws on Epicurus’s ethics to address this issue. It highlights the importance of Epicurean consumer value as a fundamental element of both individual and collective ‘eating well’. In addition, it proposes an analysis framework that shows how an approach to food sufficiency that prioritises the satisfaction of essential needs can provide access to this value. Finally, the article proposes a detailed research agenda that outlines research avenues and managerial implications.