Files
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.