Moya Kneafsey

Producer constructions of quality in regional speciality food production: a case study from south west England.

Abstract Within the context of recent concerns over potential health threats from BSE, E.Coli and genetically modified organisms, food quality is of increasing importance in contemporary British society. Thus food producers, retailers and government institutions are engaged in an attempt to reassure consumers that their food is of high quality and safe to consume. Yet, the concept of `quality’ is one which is contested, constructed and represented differently by diverse actors operating within a variety of regulatory and market arenas. The aim of this paper is to focus on one set of actors who interact to construct notions of quality within a niche market arena, namely small producers of regional speciality food products (SFPs) in the south west of England. It emerges that, despite new regulatory frameworks and consumer concerns, producers usually define quality in terms of product specification and attraction rather than through official certification schemes or association with region of origin. Food quality, however defined by producers, is essentially self-regulated and constructed within the context of maintaining stable relationships between producers and buyers. Furthermore, marketing is based on low-cost methods which demand a high personal input of time and energy from the entrepreneur. Quality, therefore, must be understood as a contested notion which is constructed by actors attempting to build stable and lasting networks between themselves and others within the market arena.

Reading the Space of the Framers 'Market:A Case Study from the United Kingdom

The aim of this paper is to begin to examine the emergence of Farmers’ Markets (FM)in the UK. It is suggested that FM represent a new type of ‘consumption space’ within the contemporary British foodscape, one which may be read as a heterotopic convergence of localist, moral, ethical and environmental discourses,mediated by networks of producers, consumers and institutions. Based on a preliminary analysis of some of the discourses employed by these actors,it is argued that FM can be understood simultaneously as ‘conservative’ and ‘alternative’ spaces. ‘Conservative’ in that they encapsulate a reactionary valorization of the local,linking localness to the ideas of quality, health and rurality, and ‘alternative’ in that they represent a diversifying rural economy arising in response to the difficulties being experienced by some uk farmers and a more general perception of a countryside under threat. Initial evidence from a pilot case study in Stratford-upon-Avon is used to support these suggestions and propose suggestions for future research.

Rural cultural economy: Tourism and Social Relations

Abstract Considerable work has now been conducted into the ways in which the countryside and related products are commodified, yet relatively few accounts have attempted to examine the factors affecting local resident participation in this so-called “commodification dynamic”. The aim of this paper is to explore some of these factors through a case study of tourism development in rural Brittany. It is argued that a conceptual framework which combines a cultural economy approach with a consideration of the historical trajectories of old and new social relations is required in order to understand the processes which either drive or hinder the commodification of contested knowledges at the local level.

Product, Process and Place An Examination of Food Marketing and Labelling Schemes in Europe and North America

Considerable academic interest now revolves around the recomposition of specific (or ‘alternative’) food chains based on notions of quality, territory and social embeddedness.A key to such recomposition is the marketing of ‘difference’ through a range of accreditation and labelling schemes. Using examples from Europe and North America, this paper examines how ‘difference’ is constructed by producers and other actors in the food supply chain by combining the attributes of ‘product, process and place’ (PPP) in a range of marketing and labelling schemes. Results indicate that it is possible to identify ‘critical’ and ‘territorial development’ rationales that influence the ways in which the three Ps are combined. An examination of the rationales and practices sustaining such labelling schemes provides insights into some of the opportunities and threats shaping the emergence of new geographies of food production and consumption in Europe and North America.

Tourism, Place Identities and Social Relations in the European Rural Periphery

Rural areas in many peripheral areas of Europe have turned to tourism as an alternative development strategy in the face of changes to the agricultural food production system. Particularly in more remote and less agriculturally viable areas, national and European-level policies have often concentrated on trying to encourage ‘bottom-up’ development revolving around the commodification of local cultural resources or ‘knowledges’. The extent to which this occurs, however, varies between places. The aim in this article is to use case-study evidence from two peripheral rural locations in Europe to explore why these variations occur. It is argued that the extent to which tourism is adopted or rejected by actors within rural places is determined by the unique configurations of historically layered and newer social relations which intersect within and between such places. These configurations shape the contested ways in which local knowledges are valorized and contribute to the existence of multiple senses of place identity. Qualitative methods, it is suggested, can lead to a more nuanced understanding of the complex ways in which such identities are constructed, and, in turn, to a deeper appreciation of the factors which promote or hinder tourism development at the local level.

Exploring the dimensions of culture economies in rural West Wales

Many rural areas in developed market economies are now responding to globalization by trying to encourage a relocalization of production and consumption through the establishment of niche markets based on locally embedded skills, resources and knowledges. Such strategies can be theorized as features of a territorially based culture economy. By introducing notions of vertical and horizontal networks into this broad idea, the aim in this paper is to interrogate the nature and extent of the culture economy as a force for rural development in West Wales. The discussion draws on empirical material from research into four different product sectors: speciality beef and lamb, organic fruit, vegetables and meat, speciality cheese and artisanal crafts. Overall, the intention is to demonstrate the importance of considering the specific socio-cultural and economic contexts within which networks of development are constructed and to suggest that multiple cultural economies operate within and across different localities and sectors.

Short Food Supply Chains and Local Food Systems in the EU. A State of Play of their Socio-Economic Characteristics

The present study aims at describing the state-of-play of short food supply chains (SFSC) in the EU understood as being the chains in which foods involved are identified by, and traceable to a farmer and for which the number of intermediaries between farmer and consumer should be minimal or ideally nil. Several types of SFSCs can be identified, for example CSAs (Community-Supported Agriculture), on-farm sales, off-farm schemes (farmers markets, delivery schemes), collective sales in particular towards public institutions, being mostly local / proximity sales and in some cases distance sales. Such type of food chain has specific social impacts, economic impacts at regional and farm level as well as environmental impacts translating themselves into a clear interest of consumers. SFSCs are present throughout the EU, although there are some differences in the different MS in terms of dominating types of SFSCs. In general, they are dominantly small or micro-enterprises, composed of small-scale producers, often coupled to organic farming practices. Social values (quality products to consumers and direct contact with the producer) are the values usually highlighted by SFSCs before environmental or economic values. In terms of policy tools, there are pros and cons in developing a specific EU labelling scheme which could bring more recognition, clarity, protection and value added to SFSCs, while potential costs might be an obstacle. Anyhow, a possible labelling scheme should take into account the current different stages and situations of development of SFSCs in the EU and be flexible enough accommodate these differences. Other policy tools, in particular training and knowledge exchange in marketing and communication are considered important and should continue to be funded by Rural Development programmes, as well as possibly other EU funds in view of the positive social and not specifically rural impacts.

Protecting and Promoting Regional Speciality Food and Drink Products in the European Union

Despite the increasingly globalized nature of food production and consumption patterns, the demand for regional speciality food and drink products is also increasing. Yet little research exists that examines the link between specific products and particular places. This paper reports on an EU regulation aimed at ‘protecting’ and ‘promoting’ food and drink products with a recognizable geographical origin. Results indicate quite marked national and regional variations in patterns of uptake, reflecting differences in both the cultural significance of regional foods in Europe and the importance of producer cooperatives. There is a real danger that the regulation will benefit larger producers and retailers, rather than genuine small-scale businesses.

Tourism and Place Identity: A case-study in rural Ireland

This paper aims to examine aspects of the relationship between tourism and place identity in rural Ireland. This relationship is conceptualised in terms of the seemingly contradictory themes of change and continuity and. through a case study, it is argued that the impact of tourism must be understood in terms of the new social relations which emerge as individuals and institutions interact to commodity place identity. These new relations in turn are mediated through resilient existing social relations. Whilst there is evidence of a gradual redefinition of local identities towards a more touristic orientation through, for example, the commodification of cultural practices, heritage and landscape resources, there is also evidence of resistance to this re-orientation. Thus places retain their distinct identities in the face of potentially homogenising global processes.

Thinking about ‘food security’: engaging with UK consumers

‘Food security’ has recently gained policy salience in the UK and internationally. Definitions vary, but the term is generally used by policy makers to imply sustained access by all consumers to sufficient food that is affordable, safe, nutritious and appropriate for an active and healthy life. Recent attention partly reflects anxiety over possible resource and environmental instabilities within the food system and the effects of economic recession. Food prices are often used to signal potential food insecurity; prices have risen recently in Britain as elsewhere, along with increased fuel costs and significant financial and job insecurities. All these factors are likely to have differential effects on food management in households living in different social and economic circumstances. Recent research using a mixed methods approach explored some of these complexities by engaging with UK consumers to examine peoples reactions to increasing food prices and their views on responsibility for ‘food security’. Well aware of increased food costs, most could identify key commodities and many cited increased oil and input prices as causes; some made links to the larger financial crisis. Few knew the term ‘food security’; though most initially interpreted it as food safety and quality, the idea that affordable, healthy food should be available and accessible for all was widely recognised. Many saw this as increasingly difficult for themselves and others in current circumstances and, while acknowledging commercial realities, look to government primarily to secure nutrition and food security for all.