Disconnected From Food Cultures
The more fast-paced our society becomes, the less we have time to think about what we are going to eat, much less where it comes from. Several scholars and experimenters have used this idea as the basis for discussion. Wahlqvist says our food must be sustainable in the long run in order for our society to exist. Tessltrom, Gustaffson, and Mossberg examine how the branding of food determines our opinions and preferences. Howard and Allen’s experiment shows that the labels on food have the power to influence the food production of the entire society. The following article summaries show how branding, labeling, and convenience largely determine our society’s food choices.
In Wahlqvist’s article “Regional Food Culture and Development”, he says that food culture is most influenced by the locality of its origin. It is shaped by a number of things specific to different regions: resources, beliefs and information, ethnicity, technology, and health status and health care. Previously, the rate of change of food culture has been relatively slow because of little change in these factors. However, many of these factors are undergoing dramatic growth themselves, causing a shift in food culture that, short term, means many sustainable food systems may be lost.
Food systems must be sustainable in the long run in order for healthy communities to thrive, and as more consumers become more dependent on other people to grow, process, deliver, and prepare their food, they become more concerned with the food’s origin. Different food systems have unique strengths and weaknesses. These strengths, for example, may be ecologically sustainable or amendable for commercialization. One specific weakness addressed in Wahlqvist’s article is the high dependence on fuel in the food system; this includes the purchase of food in regions where the consumers are automobile dependent.
Supermarkets are one particular aspect of food systems in areas that are automobile dependent. These stores require less personal energy expenditure from the consumer, who is immersed a culture that offers energy-dense, nutrient-poor food choices. In addition, these stores sell the food choices in packages that misuse natural resources, not only in terms of the actual package but also concerning its disposal and the energy required from humans who are involved in each step of this process. As a result of this automobile dependent food systems, body compositional, mental health, and social health disorders develop, and local sustainable food systems are threatened.
On the other side of the spectrum from supermarkets are indigenous and traditional food cultures. These food systems have existed for thousands of years and sustained populations of immeasurable sizes with healthy, nutrient rich food. From these systems we receive the fruits, starches and other foods that form the basis for energy intake for our population and other populations that followed these indigenous cultures. Understanding that our food system originated from these, and understanding that many of these traditional systems are disappearing, we should not be naïve. We should be concerned with the gradual extinction of indigenous food systems because a great deal of food-health knowledge lies embedded in these systems. This loss of traditional food systems is a loss and a threat to the personal health and security of personal health at the regional level and the international level (Wahlqvist, 2007).
In Tellstrom, Gustaffson, and Mossberg’s article, “Consuming Heritage: The Use of Local Food Culture in Branding”, they examine how food marketing consultants interpret regional food culture in order to match consumer ideals. They do this by collecting data from different food consultants and analyzing using theories on country-of-origin. Their results show that new food products are more appealing to consumers if the product is associated with an origin.
Food is identified as part of the process of creating feelings of regional identity. The origin of food and meals is an important element in expressing regional culture and tradition. Regional food culture has been used as a tool to promote economic growth in areas struggling with recession, showing the political and economic use of food culture. In today’s culture, food consumption no longer accurately reflects food production for a particular region. As a result, food brands have constructed a cultural authenticity to meet consumer demands for their food to have a pronounced origin. In fact, a distinct origin can give food products a confidence among consumers, influencing them towards or away from the product. Consumers are rarely experts of food quality; therefore, brand names serve as a reliable signal of quality for consumers. In addition, consumers now possess the mind-set that a product’s authenticity is determined by its geographical origin. All this information led these researchers to create an experiment that was aimed at discovering how consultants interpret associated origins as a way of branding food to support a consumer’s choice.
The results of their study indicated that food with a brand gives the product a desired origin, giving the food authenticity in the mind of the consumer. Also, an associated origin can create the concept of a new product. Branded foods can be linked to contemporary trends in music and fashion, and this serves as a mark for authenticity. In the consumer’s mind, the illusion of authenticity is more important than true authenticity. In fact, a successful food brand is built by images that consumers already have in their minds than by anything the producer uses to push their product over into the authentic category. The consultant’s primary objective in branding of food culture is to give the product authenticity, and if they can establish a link between the value of a food culture’s origin and the food product marketed, they have succeeded.
In Howard and Allen’s article “Beyond Organic”, they say that many people define themselves in terms of consumption choices. The way many consumers make choices concerning what they will and will not consumer is closely associated with labels attached to products. Labels provide consumers with information about a product that is not immediately apparent to consumers themselves. Labels also serve as tools for implementing public action that is being encouraged by certain parties. In addition, labels can increase producer revenue by creating a product niche. In their experiment, they discover people’s preferences for labeling criteria, which show interesting and unexpected patterns in labeling preferences.
Results show that more women chose foods labeled humane than men, who were twice as likely to choose a local food. This varied based on population, age and income. Local, Humane, and Living Wages are labels that could appear on food in the future. One interesting part of this article stated that consumers who are not concerned with how their food is produced are most attracted to food with a Living Wages label, and those most concerned with the environment are attracted to both Humane and Living Wages. The conclusion of this experiment shows that consumers have the power to influence food production choices based on what they buy.
Few people truly take the time to research where their food comes from or how it’s made, and therefore, consumers generally use what sounds appealing and what looks attractive as a basis for choosing their food. There is a clear disconnect between where our food comes from and how it arrives on our plates, and it appears that little is being done to bridge this gap between producers and consumers.
Works Cited
Howard, P. H., & Allen, P. (2010). Beyond Organic and Fair Trade? An Analysis of Ecolabel Preferences in the United States. Rural Sociology, 75(2), 244-269. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Tellström, R., Gustafsson, I., & Mossberg, L. (2006). Consuming heritage: The use of local food culture in branding. Place Branding, 2(2), 130-143. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Wahlqvist, M. L., & Meei-Shyuan, L. (2007). Regional food culture and development. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 162-7. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.