Can consumers buy alternative foods at a big box supermarket?

ABSTRACT

While consumers in affluent countries are ever hungry for alternatives to the ‘Big-Food’ mainstream, critical scholars have raised serious questions about the meaning of ‘alternative’ food products. I explore scholarly critiques of alternative food, and argue against a binary approach that sees foods as either alternative or not alternative. Instead, I suggest the utility of taking a multifaceted, ‘family of issues’ approach that is both reflexive and materialist. The case of ethical meat is used to explore the myriad, often contradictory ideals contained within consumers’ search for alternatives to mainstream market options. Three cautionary lessons are put forward. First, the goal of producing myriad consumer alternatives is significantly hampered by the competing, and often contradictory demands of market forces. Second, the discourse of food alternatives uses a ‘win-win’ logic suggesting that consumer sacrifice or change is unnecessary; the challenge of reshaping, and even downgrading consumer expectations is a necessary, but tremendous challenge facing consumer projects for ecological and social change. Third, the search for eco-social alternatives cannot simply make consumers feel good about their purchases, but must address the material realities and limitations of niche markets, and the need for structural reform to the food system.     

Corporate Social Responsibility

In the context of some criticism about social responsibility education in business schools, the paper reports findings from a survey of CSR education (teaching and research) in Europe. It analyses the extent of CSR education, the different ways in which it is defined and the levels at which it is taught. The paper provides an account of the efforts that are being made to mainstream CSR teaching and of the teaching methods deployed. It considers drivers of CSR courses, particularly the historical role of motivated individuals and the anticipation of future success being dependent on more institutional drivers. Finally it considers main developments in CSR research both by business school faculty and PhD students, tomorrows researchers and the resources devoted to CSR research. The conclusion includes questions that arise and further research directions.     

“Fairtradization”: a performative perspective on fair trade markets and the role of retail settings in their enactment

In line with the Callonian approach in economic sociology, this paper introduces the concept of “fairtradization” to analyze the assemblages of human agents, material devices, and discourses through which the fair trade market is enacted. We argue that the retail setting is a key site for the enactment of particular versions of “fair trade,” focusing on a case study of the newly designed world shops in Flanders (Belgium). We reveal that the new shop design – aimed to address particular overflows resulting from the mainstreaming of fair trade – constitutes a multivocal shopping environment that enables four analytically distinct enactments of fair trade shopping. Our analytical approach opens up a more dynamic and complex understanding of fair trade beyond the unidirectional diagnosis of mainstreaming. More generally, it provides support for a radically performative view of consumption markets, pointing to the importance of retail settings as socio-material spaces for their enactment.     

加入WTO后应大力发展绿色食品、有机食品和无公害食品

环境对绿色食品、有机食品和无公害食品具有影响,加入WTO后面临着发展机遇与挑战。为了 加快绿色食品、有机食品和无公害食品的发展,应大力培养绿色食品、有机食品和无公害食品的专业人 才及管理人才。     

我国粮食安全的影响因素及其对策

在影响粮食安全的各种因素中,人口增长、消费结构升级、生物质能源需求增加、城市化水平提高是影响粮食需求的主要因素,耕地数量减少、耕地质量下降、水资源匮乏、气候条件异常、科技进步、种粮成本是影响粮食生产的主要因素,而外贸依存度、粮食储备能力也是影响粮食安全的重要因素.为了保证粮食安全,必须严格保护耕地,遏制耕地的减少;加强农田水利基础设施建设,提高农业综合生产能力;强化科技支撑,提高粮食单产和品质;加强土地环境保护,减少污染;完善粮食储备,健全储备粮食调控机制等.     

Gender Mainstreaming and Corporate Social Responsibility: Reporting Workplace Issues

This paper investigates the potential and actual contribution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to gender equality in a framework of gender mainstreaming (GM). It introduces GM as combining technical systems (monitoring, reporting, evaluating) with political processes (women’s participation in decision-making) and considers the ways in which this is compatible with CSR agendas. It examines the inclusion of gender equality criteria within three related CSR tools: human capital management (HCM) reporting, CSR reporting guidelines, and socially responsible investment (SRI) criteria on employee and diversity issues. Although evidence is found of gender equality information being requested within several CSR related reporting frameworks, these requirements are mostly limited in scope, or remain optional elements. The nature and extent of relevant stakeholder opportunities are investigated to explain this unfulfilled potential.     

Consumer Perceptions of Kosher Products

ABSTRACT

The demand for kosher food has grown markedly during recent years, largely due to their perception as healthier, “safer,” more nutritionally enhanced value, and improved hygienic preparation conditions. This perception was verified by a survey conducted in Israel with 440 respondents. Both groups, younger and older age, secular and religious people, perceive the term kosher in a beneficial light, affecting the public view of food products as well as fast-food outlets. The survey, which was conducted in Israel, could be utilized as a pilot furnishing and facilitate a basis for further studies in other countries. The data highlights the vast market potential entailed in improving consumer perception of overall quality. Given the elevated perceived image of kosher food as “healthier” and of an enhanced quality, this study provides an essential marketing tool and detailed information in order to enable both manufacturers and retailers to expand the kosher segment and corner a larger share of the food market.     

对美国食品保护计划的解读与评析

对美国食品药品管理局(FDA)新近制订的((食品保护计划:国家食品供应综合保护战略>进行了解读和评析,介绍了该计划的出台背景、制订目的和适用范围,美国国家食品供应安全保护战略的三大要素,以及FDA推进食品保护计划的关键步骤和行动举措设想,分析了美国食品保护和进口食品监管的新动向.认为该计划对美国国家食品供应安全工作具有重要战略意义和深远历史意义,为完善美国食品安全体系,加强食品安全和食品防护工作提供了新思路,同时对我国食品保护特别是进口食品监管体系建设有一定的启示作用和借鉴意义,但FDA最终能否排除各种阻力成功地推行其行动计划,还存在许多不确定因素,即使要求扩大职能的相关法律修订提案获得国会批准,各种行动举措的全面实施也需一定的时日,而且其实际改革效果如何尚有待未来实践的检验.