Commodity Networks

Associating ideas related to cultural geographies of 'quality' food production and consumption with recent discussion of Internet technologies, virtuality and simulation, this paper examines two newly constituted Internet enterprises offering customers 'virtual' experiences of food production, and 'quality' food products in which they have invested. The paper shows how these enterprises are associated with particular types of geographical and ethical relation, and a search for 'authentic', connected, relationships with food, farming, locality and 'nature'. These relationships are constituted in an assemblage of things held together by flows of food, products, money and electronic communication. The paper ends by suggesting a number of theoretical ideas that might usefully be explored in empirical research into Internet-mediated food production.

Abstarct. Product differentiation, market segmentation and the relevance of credence attributes for food require complex information. Lack of information, or its unreliability may result in negative welfare effects. Given that market failures can arise along food chains the provision of ...

The aim of this article is to determine the stage of development of the certification process in Romani for food products, given the process strong importance in the European Union. Comparing to the European Union where the Traditional Specialities Guaranteed is the less popular certification at a national level; traditional product certification is the most common. The number of traditional products certified was analyzed using the method of spatial distribution. Results indicated a strong discrepancy between Northern and Southern regions from Romania regarding the interest for certification. It is concluded that for a future European Certification, the Northern region will become a source of certified products. Â

Nationalising local sustainability: lessons from the British wartime Utility furniture scheme Analyses of sustainable design and commodity networks often make a priori assumptions about the capacity of markets to provide solutions to environmental problems; and have a tendency to celebrate local scales of action. This paper offers a contrasting account, in which the national state sought to carefully manage scarce natural resources and to ensure equitable consumption at a time of deep crisis. We utilise the historical example of the British wartime Utility furniture scheme in order to draw out three lessons for sustainable and equitable environmental practice. First, we argue that national states do not simply provide an institutional backdrop to sustainable production but rather can act as important organising agents. Second, the paper emphasises that sustainability is best achieved through interventions across a commodity network, beyond simply modifications to a single node such as design. Finally, we underscore the value of 'pragmatic centralism' in environmental decision-making, calling attention to the collaborative practices that underpinned the scheme. The example of Utility's adaptive responses-borne out of crisis, scarcity and shortage during wartime-offers much that is of intrinsic interest to current concerns about resource consumption and the drivers of sustainability in commodity networks.

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A number of quality products and services, often catering for niche markets, have become associated with certain regions. This geographical association has in some cases been important in influencing the perceptions of consumers, their behaviour and the final demand for the products. The present paper draws on an extensive survey of almost 750 wine consumers carried out in Greece. The work examines the development and meaning of place and regional images, with a marketing dimension. Regional image is then related to consumer behaviour and the consumption of other regional products and services. Creating and marketing a regional image is then related to rural development and diversification of economic activities in lagging areas of the E.U. The major conclusion drawn from this work is that marketing and the promotion of ‘place images’ will eventually become important element in future regional development measures.

Abstarct. Product differentiation, market segmentation and the relevance of credence attributes for food require complex information. Lack of information, or its unreliability may result in negative welfare effects. Given that market failures can arise along food chains the provision of ...

This case study outline the overall structural features, the main drivers of change, the corresponding typical firm responses, and the basic characteristics of knowledge dynamics prevailing in the food and drinks sector. The analysis illustrates that despite its mature and traditional character, the sector is experiencing thorough processes of change due to a number of reasons such as new consumer demands, globalisation, the growing power of retailers in the supply chains, technological development, and introduction of new safety and environmental regulation. As responses to changing market and regulation conditions, a number of new business models and production-consumption networks are contemporarily emerging in competition with the conventional food industry characterised by, among other things, tough price competition, large-scale manufacturing and distribution systems, and increasingly global supply chains. Two emerging food provision models are included in the analysis alongsi...

In the current restructuring of agro-food systems quality is seen as increasingly important and in the United Kingdom this is evidenced by the growth in quality assurance schemes (QAS). The aim of this paper is to critically examine the process of introducing quality through QAS in the UK. This is done by identifying and analysing the key discourses in the farming and food industries surrounding this process. Drawing on Farmers Weekly as a data source, four main discourses are identi"ed and analysed. These are discourses of organisational change within the agro-food chain; discourses surrounding the de"nition of quality; discourses of farmer acceptance of, and resistance to, QAS; and discourses which construct a particular representation of consumers. The implications of each of these discourses for the development of QAS are also discussed and key issues for further research identi"ed.

This paper focuses on a particular group of food commodities, associated with the wider turn to 'alternative food networks', that are described as 'naturally embedded food products' (NEFPs). These are commodities (specifically meats and cheeses) that utilise grassland biodiversity as an input into production to positively influence, in various ways, the final qualities of the commodity. Building on the geographical literature on commodity circuits and analysing data derived from NEFP promotional materials and focus groups with urban and rural residents in the UK, the paper interrogates the geographical knowledges that are deployed by producers in the promotion of NEFPs and how these knowledges are accommodated and contested by consumers as they bring their own geographical knowledges to the interpretation of these commodities. The paper undertakes this task in order to problematise the extent to which alternative food networks in general and NEFPs in particular are bringing about a reconnection of producers and consumers and, concomitantly, a defetishisation of food, as is claimed for them by many of their policy and academic proponents. In the process the paper reveals how the food commodities associated with alternative food networks entail the creation of new and rival fetishes paradoxically as a result of efforts to 'thicken connections' between the production and consumption of food.

In this article, I track the contemporary possibilities for the global circulation of extravirgin olive oil. Recent technoscientific discoveries about the health benefits of extravirgin olive oil combine with narratives about olive oil's "ancientness" and "naturalness" to make it a very successful food commodity in an era of global concern about the risks of "industrial" food. "The Mediterranean" has emerged as a culture area that is defined by food in two realms: in a scientific register ("the Mediterranean Diet") and in contemporary gustatory discourses of distinction that imagine "the Mediterranean" as a site of delicious, "real" food as opposed to the industrial, processed food of the North Atlantic.

In this article, I track the contemporary possibilities for the global circulation of extravirgin olive oil. Recent technoscientific discoveries about the health benefits of extravirgin olive oil combine with narratives about olive oil's "ancientness" and "naturalness" to make it a very successful food commodity in an era of global concern about the risks of "industrial" food. "The Mediterranean" has emerged as a culture area that is defined by food in two realms: in a scientific register ("the Mediterranean Diet") and in contemporary gustatory discourses of distinction that imagine "the Mediterranean" as a site of delicious, "real" food as opposed to the industrial, processed food of the North Atlantic.

The terms regional image, place-promotion, place marketing, regional development and marketing of quality products seem to be used interchangeably within the literature reflecting the variety of definitions related to the subject area. The current paper overviews the relevance of regional imagery to consumers; the perceptions of regional and quality products; and the new directions in rural development policies from a marketing point of view. The case of Greece is briefly presented for illustrative purposes.

Recent research on authenticity in food products has highlighted the importance of place. I use the example of wine called Chianti-once made in both central Italy and northern California-to reframe the discussion of how authenticity is constructed. I show that both versions of Chianti were dynamic, not stable, products that were the results of networks of capital, geographies of production, and consumer desires. I explain the transoceanic viniferous dialectic that involved consumers and producers, and the curious situation of an Italian wine that seemed authentic despite being made in California. This case suggests that rather than being based on geophysical variables or supposedly traditional production practices, authenticity can be constructed over time far from a good product's place of origin and using different authenticating symbols.

This article analyses the consequences of the 'methanol wine scandal' on the wine production market of Piedmont. Contrary to what is usually claimed, these consequences where not the direct result of the scandal, but emerged only when a change in the institutional configuration of the market came about. The article illustrates how the institutional change following the scandal triggered the quality turn of the wine production market in Piedmont. The key processes at the root of this change are depicted in terms of quality conventions as coordination mechanisms embedded in the institutional context. The first part of the article outlines the conceptual coordinates concerning the 'social construction' of quality. Afterwards both the general and regional trends toward the quality production in the national and local wine sector are summarised. Then 'the methanol wine scandal' and its institutional consequences are illustrated. Finally, to appreciate the current organization of the local production market and of the quality conventions among wine producers, findings from interviews with local entrepreneurs are reported.

This paper will review the pertinent existing scholarship on one aspect of my dissertation research question: terroir. The basis of geographic indication (GI) certifications, and terroir, is the idea that certain food products come from certain places and are produced using particular methods. This paper will therefore provide a literature review on terroir, framed as the production of place and taste, and how arguments about place-based identities articulate with the production of (un-)palatable foods, places, and people. 

In this paper we analyse two different marketing networks developed by farmers in marginal rural areas to add and retain value to produce. In order to better understand whether differentiation could be a real option for marginal areas, the paper deals with the development and the performance of product networks created around local products. The analysis is based on two case studies in Tuscany. The first case study concerns the evolution of the marketing network around the raw milk sheep system of production of the Pistoia Mountains. The second case study illustrates the marketing strategies recently developed by a well established co-operative of beef producers in the Mugello area. In this case, the differentiation concerns organic beef marketed nationally by a big retailer. The comparison of the two cases shows that successful differentiation is linked to capacity to keep control of the chain through appropriate network-building activities.

This case study outline the overall structural features, the main drivers of change, the corresponding typical firm responses, and the basic characteristics of knowledge dynamics prevailing in the food and drinks sector. The analysis illustrates that despite its mature and traditional character, the sector is experiencing thorough processes of change due to a number of reasons such as new consumer demands, globalisation, the growing power of retailers in the supply chains, technological development, and introduction of new safety and environmental regulation. As responses to changing market and regulation conditions, a number of new business models and production-consumption networks are contemporarily emerging in competition with the conventional food industry characterised by, among other things, tough price competition, large-scale manufacturing and distribution systems, and increasingly global supply chains. Two emerging food provision models are included in the analysis alongside the mainstream "industrial" food model, namely the "alternative" and the "functional" food model. Despite their insignificant roles in the total agro-food economy, the emerging "alternative" and "functional" food networks represent important directions for the future development of the food sector and already today influence innovation efforts of mainstream producers. The three models of industrial, alternative and functional food emphasise different combinations of quality conventions. The qualities of conventions underlying the three models have implications for the categories of knowledge searched for, developed and applied. By applying a convention theoretical approach it is possible to better understand and describe the variety in the food and drinks sector regarding prevailing knowledge categories and dynamics, responses to demands of change, spatial organisation and linkages etc. The three suggested food production-consumption models belongs toin the terminology of Storper & Salais (1997) -three different Worlds of production characterised by differing though not totally separate and contrary knowledge bases. The study illustrates that the food and drinks sector encompasses a multifaceted spectrum of knowledge dynamics covering all parts of the applied 2-dimensional matrix of three knowledge categories (analytical, synthetic, and symbolic) and three knowledge phases (exploration, examination, and exploitation).

Purpose -The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of alternative processes of restructuring in the agri-food chain, emphasising the socio-cultural aspects. Design/methodology/approach -A conceptual discussion as to how qualities are embedded in speciality products to make them different from conventional products leads to the presentation of a model of modes of designed qualities. This model is applied to an empirical study of the milk supply chains and the related infrastructure in Norway and Wales. Findings -The research argues that qualities of food are constructed in relations between participants along the supply chain, consumers included. Development of speciality food needs new networks to create other modes of quality than the standard. Research limitations/implications -The concepts are contributions to analytical generalisations and not to statistical generalisations, i.e. they must be applied to cases. This study is related to the milk sector in two contexts. There is a need to explore other empirical cases. Originality/value -This paper uses new conceptual tools to analyse how food qualities are constructed in relations between food producers, processors and consumers. It contributes to the debate on the alternative food economy, especially with relation to aspects of quality.

The use and implementation of PDOs is a well established practice in most EU countries. Previous studies show that the use of PDOs is directly related to previous experiences as well as the relative importance of the agro-food sector in a country's economy. In the case of Sweden, the agro-food sector has been oriented towards continuous structural rationalization since at least the 1930's. However, the transformation pressure exerted by a rising competitive level in the market, that emanates both from global as well as regional European sources led to the adoption of new strategies. These strategies entail the on-farm elaboration of farm produce, the diversification of activities as well as the use of certification schemes. In the case of Kalix Löjrom, the strategy selected was the adoption of a PDO, as a way of entering a valorisation process for export purposes as well as defending the product against dislojal competition of products with less quality. As this is the first...

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the roles Geographical Indications (PDO and PGI) can play in the internationalisation process of some small-medium scale agri - food products from Tuscany (Italy). The analysis of the selected case studies highlighted among the driving ...

This chapter offers an overview and critical assessment of the recent achievements in social sciences regarding the concept of food authenticity and its consumer understanding. The increasing complexity and globalisation of the agro-food systems has been transforming previously territorialised consumer/producer relationships into deterritorialised connections established at a distance. Apart from globalised food commoditisation and the complex arrangements that hinder transparency in the food system, nations' diets are subject to other deterritorialised influences, namely colonial influences, cultural exchange through immigration and travelling to exotic places where encounters with 'otherness' have dual contradictory processes. This can either reinforce national identities by enhancing food differentiation or establish cultural integration through 'food creolization' processes. Authenticity is considered both an objective and a subjective concept. Its objectivity makes it prone to expert measurement, and stabilisation.

All agricultural products have specific geographic origins and at least some consumers, producers and retailers differentiate products on this basis. Recent food policy initiatives within the European Union and the United Kingdom offer formal mechanisms for such differentiation via certification schemes. Yet the appropriateness of these mechanisms has not been scrutinised extensively. Drawing upon an exploratory qualitative research project based in the UK, this paper examines geographic indication in foods from a consumer perspective, and considers the implications for policy-makers. The findings highlight some important issues regarding the characteristics and perceived authenticity of regional foods.

All agricultural products have specific geographic origins and at least some consumers, producers and retailers differentiate products on this basis. Recent food policy initiatives within the European Union and the United Kingdom offer formal mechanisms for such differentiation via certification schemes. Yet the appropriateness of these mechanisms has not been scrutinised extensively. Drawing upon an exploratory qualitative research project based in the UK, this paper examines geographic indication in foods from a consumer perspective, and considers the implications for policy-makers. The findings highlight some important issues regarding the characteristics and perceived authenticity of regional foods.

A number of quality products and services, often catering for niche markets, have become associated with certain regions. This geographical association has in some cases been important in influencing the perceptions of consumers, their behaviour and the final demand for the products.

A number of quality products and services, often catering for niche markets, have become associated with certain regions. This geographical association has proved important in influencing the mentality of urban consumers, their behaviour and, consequently, the demand for such products. This work identifies three sets of elements of the regional resource base that contribute towards consumer-constructed regional images-namely, factors related to nature and the environment; factors related to history, tradition and heritage; and amenity experiential factors. The relation between consumer-constructed regional images and a variety of consumer needs is discussed. Data from a wide survey of Greek wine consumers are utilised and a microeconometric approach is employed to test the effects of consumer-constructed regional images on consumer expenditure on regional wines. and dimara@econ.upatras.gr. The authors would like to acknowledge the helpful comments received by four anonymous reviewers of this journal. A programme of collaborative research by the following has given rise to this work: the

Purpose -The purpose of this work is to examine the range of information consumers seek on labels of quality products and construct an indicative check-list of various types of informational labeling as well as to examine whether quality of information demanded segregates the market-creating segments to be targeted by firms. Design/methodology/approach -An extensive interdisciplinary literature review based on findings in marketing, economics, geography and sociology reveals the often neglected range of factors forcing consumers to place importance on regionally denominated food and drink. The European Union (EU) has responded to growing consumer trends towards regional and traditional food and established special schemes regulating the production of such food and drink. A survey of 640 consumers of quality wine carried out within the framework of an EU-funded program provides the empirical material of this work. Findings -The study records the range of informational labeling sought by consumers as well as critical factors influencing their consuming behavior. Informational labeling linking product to place ranks top among a wide set of information sought on labels. A Poisson count data model reveals that consumers' willingness to acquire information from labels is influenced by various socio-economic characteristics and, in general, high demand for information is associated with higher expenditures for wine. Originality/value -Informational labeling is a significant step for place revalorization and cultural relocalization and provides significant prospects to enterprises marketing local culture. Research should be extended to the examination of other products and the comparative assessment of the findings.

The European UnionÕs (EUÕs) ÔqualityÕ policy for agriculture offers producers a scheme for the certification of regional speciality food. Certification conveys a wide range of signals to both consumers and producers. For producers in particular, certification may be viewed either as a protection or as a promotion mechanism, or both. Evidence shows that, despite the active support offered to the policy, producers have not been convinced that certification is an important quality indicator bearing marketing advantages. Furthermore, producers valuing certification as an important quality indicator form a clear segment in the population of producers. Policy should attempt to raise awareness of the promotion advantages of quality certification among producers, and employ a mechanism that will reduce the free-riders issue by involving the producers in the certification acquisition process.

In this paper we explore the extent to which a reciprocal relationship exists between contemporary theorisation about farmers' markets in geography and the rapidly expanding public discourse surrounding these sites of exchange in New Zealand. Activities branded as farmers' markets are seen widely as local phenomena of systemic significance for the understanding of evolving geographies of production, consumption and exchange. As something ‘new’ on the landscape, farmers' markets also attract attention in the media. An electronic database of significant print media contributions over the period 1995 to 2007 provides the empirical basis for an assessment of the extent to which theorisation and the public discourse address common themes. Our analysis indicates that, while the economic and social constructions in both the research literature and the media database share common themes, strong contrasts in ways of ‘seeing’ farmers' markets are apparent. We note the predilection in the print media to present the nature and purpose of farmers' markets through the personal experiences and ‘stories’ of participants. There is a tendency to focus on the appeal of markets to the consumers who form the readership base. The theorised alterity of the farmers' market, either in terms of production methods or motivations for consumption, is not reflected strongly in media reports, and this raises questions about ‘over-theorisation’ in the academic literature. Our aim is to promote reflection in both the editorial offices of the media and in the academy by documenting the nature of these contrasting views.

Qualification schemes have become popular tools for supporting regional foods, yet little is understood about the impacts they have on the rural development contribution of such foods. Qualification processes may stimulate new networks and community actions, but they may also be incompatible with strategies of extended territorial development because of their foundation in theories of competitive advantage. To explore these issues, the evolution is traced of three cases of regional food production, where local actors pursue the opportunity to qualify products under EEC Regulation 2081/92. The results reveal, in practice, the different experiences that can evolve under the same qualification mechanism, and also how the consequences for rural development can vary. The paper concludes with analysis of factors influencing the involvement and behaviour of actors in regional food qualification, and what these infer for the rural development approach pursued.

The main aim of this project is to investigate the culture of artisan cheese makers in the South West Region of Britain with particular reference to the ideology of the cheese makers and how it has an impact on their production methods and choice of product. A subsidiary Victoria E de C Osborne Student Number:171627

The Second World War Utility furniture scheme represented a distinctive moment in the changing geographies of the twentieth-century British furniture industry. The scheme enabled the British state to direct the entire furniture commodity chain, from the regulation of timber supplies through to the management of final consumption. Whilst there has been some discussion of Utility within the context of modernism in design, the paper explores the broader historical geographies of Utility furniture. We demonstrate the ways in which state activity in wartime reconfigured socio-economic networks of production, distribution and consumption. The paper’s assessment of the Utility scheme reveals the importance of historical contingency in commodity chain dynamics as well as the role of the national state as a key organising agent.