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Short abstract:

This paper studies the construction of Greek olive oil as a health protective product through material and ethical politics of expertise. It accentuates the proactive involvement of networks comprising scientists, farmers, and market stakeholders to the formation of novel entities and identities.

Long abstract:

This paper delves into the construction of Greek olive oil to a health protective product through the dynamics of assetization practices. It accentuates the proactive involvement of networks comprising scientists, farmers, and market stakeholders, who champion the health-preserving qualities of olive oil and contribute to the formation of novel entities and product identities. Conceptually, we merge Science and Technology Studies (STS) perspectives on sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015), assetization (Birch and Muniesa, 2020) with those that scrutinize the material and moral politics of protocols of care (Mol et al., 2010). We posit that these new assets are forged through the cognitive, material and ethical politics of expertise.

Our investigation delves into how olive oil undergoes a multifaceted transformation shaped by social, cultural, scientific, and technological factors within historical contexts. This evolution has spurred innovations expanding its traditional utility, particularly in the realm of health promotion, influenced by EU health regulations. Emerging practices emphasizing bodily well-being and metabolic health have led to the establishment of new standards and concepts like nutraceuticals and superfoods.

We contend that the politics of expertise drive an agrifood transition in olive oil production, guided by a sociotechnical imaginary that blends discourses on olive oil's dietary importance with notions of rural development, ontological integrity and just transition. Methodologically, the paper draws upon the analysis of archival agrifood and biochemical sources, supplemented by a series of semi-structured interviews with scientific experts, market stakeholders and a series of focus groups involving Greek farmers.