%0 Journal Article
%T The dynamics of alternative food consumption: contexts, opportunities and transformations Les dynamiques de la consommation alimentaire alternative: contextes, opportunit¨¦s et transformations
%A Laura Terragni
%A Hanne Torjusen
%A Gunnar Vitters£¿
%J Anthropology of Food
%D 2009
%I Anthropology of Food
%X Can consumers contribute to a more sustainable world? In this article we describe alternative consumption in Norway, exemplified by organic food, and discuss the role of consumers in promoting change. The paper is based on studies undertaken at the Norwegian National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO) during the last 15 years. The analysis starts by considering the origin of the organic movement in Norway and follows its development, showing that over the years consumption of organic products has reached a noteworthy position in the conventional market. While organic products seem to face conventionalisation, other alternative initiatives are emerging, such as fair trade, farmers¡¯ market, farm food outlets, box schemes and community supported agriculture (CSA). Agreeing with the critique of a ¡®generic active consumer model¡¯, the article makes the case that the consumer¡¯s role must be understood contextually and within its limitations. At the same time, the data presented in this article show that within shifting contextual frameworks, consumers utilise consumption with the goal of producing change. The paper suggests that forms of consumption defined as alternative are socially contested and the products that consumers identify as alternative are those that, in a given time and space, best reflect alternative values. Les consommateurs peuvent-ils contribuer ¨¤ un monde plus durable? Dans cet article nous d¨¦crivons la consommation alternative en Norv¨¨ge ¨¤ travers l¡¯exemple des aliments bio, et nous discutons le r le des consommateurs dans la promotion du changement. Cet article se fonde sur des recherches entreprises par l¡¯Institut national de la recherche sur les consommateurs (SIFO) en Norv¨¨ge, au cours des 15 derni¨¨res ann¨¦es. L¡¯analyse commence par d¨¦crire l¡¯origine du mouvement bio en Norv¨¨ge et suit son d¨¦veloppement, montrant qu¡¯au fil des ann¨¦es la consommation de produits bio a atteint une position importante au sein du march¨¦ conventionnel. Alors que les produits bio semblent s¡¯opposer aux produits conventionnels, des initiatives alternatives ¨¦mergent, telles que le commerce ¨¦quitable, les march¨¦s de producteurs, la vente directe ¨¤ la ferme, les paniers et les AMAP (Association pour le Maintien d¡¯une Agriculture Paysanne). En accord avec la critique d¡¯un   mod¨¨le g¨¦n¨¦rique de consommateur actif  , l¡¯article soutient que le r le du consommateur doit ¨ºtre compris contextuellement et avec ses limites. En m¨ºme temps, les r¨¦sultats pr¨¦sent¨¦s montrent que les consommateurs utilisent la consommation dans le but de produire du changement ¨¤ l¡¯int¨¦rie
%K organic food
%K Norway
%K alternative food consumption
%K consumerism
%K Norv¨¨ge
%K bio
%K consommation alternative
%K consum¨¦risme
%U http://aof.revues.org/6400