Contribution short abstract:

Reducing consumption of resource intensive produces, takes on an important piece for sustainability.Often communication approaches are caught up in frames of duality, despite overall synergies.This paper assesses common grounds for sustainability communication based on a transdisciplinary setting.

Contribution long abstract:

Communication is an essential part to bare sustainable system change. It reduces information asymmetry and sets the basis for the societal acceptance of lifestyle changes. Reducing consumption, especially the consumption of resource intensive produces, like meat, takes on an important piece for the sustainability puzzle. Often communication approaches are caught up in frames of duality of ‘bad and good’ and despite overall existing synergies. Little effort has been taken to systematically assess aspects of sustainability communication, which may provide a wider common ground for a less resource intensive consumption, preparing society for upcoming lifestyle changes.

We aim at 1) multiple stakeholder’s perspectives related to communication approaches for ‘less, but better’ meat 2) integrate those perspectives in a transdisciplinary creative way to gain a better understanding for synergetic communication pathways.

We draw from inter- und transdisciplinary observations, semi-structured interviews and group discussions with artists, producers, NGOs, consumer rights organizations and open up the discussion about how and what to communicate in regard to sustainable food qualities.

Contribution short abstract:

My paper discusses food waste reduction as a process reconstructing and reconstituting the traditional and deep-rooted norm of not wasting food. While the reconstruction process involves braking some contradicting norms, traditions, and practices others seem unattainable.

Contribution long abstract:

In recent years, food waste and food loss have been raised up as threatening global environment and food safety. Food waste reduction has become a political goal and a cultural quest shared by various actors. Food waste reduction implies several elements of norm braking, bending and construction, which I will discuss based on my study on Finnish media discourse and consumer participation in food waste reduction.

The recent discourse brought into the daylight the continuous braking of the deep-rooted traditional norm of not wasting food. My paper discusses food waste reduction as a process reconstructing and reconstituting this traditional norm. On one hand, food waste reduction appears as part of a wider transformation required in (food) production and consumption. On the other hand, its typical focus on individual behavior may also mask the need for a more profound change and braking of norms and traditions.

In the everyday lives of citizens, food waste reduction plays out as resistance to “consumer culture”. Resistance, however, does not easily turn into the transformation of alleged social and economic drivers of over-consumption as this kind of change is often regarded implausible and outside the reach of ordinary citizens. Nevertheless, taking on responsibility as consumers — thus performing the reconstitution of the sociocultural norm of not wasting food — entails hopes for wider cultural and systemic change, such as loosening the norms dictated by market economy.

Contribution short abstract:

The present research addresses the conflict areas that hinder a full understanding of what has been achieved in ecological production, and that hence hinders trust in the quality of ecological foods from an interdisciplinary, cultural anthropology, didactic, societal and market-oriented perspective.

Contribution long abstract:

Organic foods are produced in a manner of mindful resource conservation and environmental protection. Yet even though such foods guarantee many sustainable food properties and truly are of extrinsic sustainable quality (ever mindful that continuous setting of controls is needed), consumers surprisingly show in their purchase decision very little explicit awareness of this quality– a quality which would, if fully grasped, have to habitualize decision making in favor of this choice when shopping for food. The present research addresses the conflict areas that hinder a full understanding of what has been achieved in sustainable, ecological production, and that hence hinders trust in the production chain of ecological foods from an interdisciplinary, cultural anthropology, didactic, societal and market-oriented perspective. Grounded in qualitative empirical interviews, the research assesses the perception of ecological production along the production chain, such as e.g., regional origin, and identify where gaps of information appear and extant expectations are not met. Knowledge and trust components voiced by consumers, processors, and producers, as well as visuals circulating about this production sector will be researched and analyzed under the umbrella concept of “authenticity perception” – a now frequently used term in sustainable food production that in itself will be differentiated and semantically filled in the course of the research.

Contribution short abstract:

Using as a case study one Community Supported Agriculture from Romania I am looking at how small producers, who are otherwise excluded from obtaining the premium prices of organic food markets, can still seize community economic rent through the close relationship created with their consumers.

Contribution long abstract:

The rising concerns regarding food safety, and the growing awareness of the environmental impact on biodiversity through the use of harmful chemicals by intensive agriculture as well as the negative social impact for local communities, has resulted in an increasing demand for products grown through more environmental and ethical practices. Thus, the quality turn (Goodman, 2003) resulted in the rising popularity of organic certificated products. Yet, it can be argued that organic labels do not manage to challenge the unjust practices but merely create another niche in the market to be co-opted and exploited by corporations, without delivering significant changes to the food system.

Using as a case study one Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from Romania I am looking at how small producers, who are otherwise excluded from accessing the premium prices of organic food markets, can still seize community economic rent (Galt, 2013) through the close relationship created with their consumers as part of a CSA. Using a qualitative research methodology, based on semi-structured interviews and secondary data analysis my research addresses the discursive constructions regarding food, which is perceived as good based on the virtue of trust, build through the close relationship between consumers and producers. The constructed imaginaries of food revolve around the place of origin (authenticity) or on the way it is produced (naturalness).

Contribution short abstract:

The democratization of the food system calls for participation of people. Community-supported agriculture provides a way to become an active participant of the food system: a food citizen. Via participatory action research, we develop an understanding of food citizenship and its performative nature.

Contribution long abstract:

Food democracy can be a way to secure the right of all people to sufficient, safe, and sustainable food and to redistribute the power within the food system. The democratization of the food system calls for active participation and the empowerment of citizens. Alternative food networks, such as community-supported agriculture (CSA), provide ways of producing and consuming food differently. They involve citizens in community decision-making and collective action in everyday food practices. CSA is a concrete way through which food democracy can be pursued and new norms regarding food consumption and production may be created.

Our conceptual framework builds on a performative conception of citizenship: Instead of status, citizenship is seen as becoming in action. This understanding of citizenship appreciates human–non-human entanglements, and moves beyond society-nature dualism as well as privileging of the human over the non-humans. Although much has been written on food democracy and food citizenship, the figure of food citizen is still vague. Especially the role of materiality and non-humans in constructing food citizenship requires more attention.

Via participatory action research with a small-scale CSA located in Central Finland, we develop the understanding of food citizenship: How food citizenship is produced in the CSA practices, and how materiality is affecting on becoming a food citizen and the norms related to food production and consumption? Our findings indicate that acknowledging materiality broadens the discussion from individual, market-based, and consumer-oriented approaches of participation towards norm-breaking, collective, and activist participation and the role of citizens in the food system.