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A cultural economy model for studying food systems

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  • Jane Dixon

Abstract

In 1984, William Friedland proposed a Commodity Systems Analysis framework for describing the stages through which a commodity is transformed and how it acquires value. He challenged us to think of commodities as entities with a social as well as a physical presence. Friedland's argument enriched the concept of commodity production, but it remains essentially a supply side perspective. Since then, many commentators have argued that power is shifting from producers to consumers. Furthermore, some are claiming that, contrary to much traditional Marxist thinking about how individuals find meaning through their productive capacities, it is now through consumption that individuals are identifying themselves. Given the significance of this view, it seems timely to extend Friedland's framework to incorporate the consumption perspective. In light of other claims that the distance between production and consumption is increasing, it is equally important to acknowledge the processes that structure the relationship between the two spheres. This entails using new retail geographical and cultural studies to explore further what takes place in distribution and exchange. This article describes a new model for understanding power in commodity systems, one that acknowledges the input and interests of a range of actors beyond the agricultural sector. The proposed cultural economy model also emphasizes a range of value adding processes that are wider than those that apply to commodity production. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1999

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Dixon, 1999. "A cultural economy model for studying food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 16(2), pages 151-160, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:16:y:1999:i:2:p:151-160
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1007531129846
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tegtmeier, Erin M., 2003. "Factors affecting symbolic and use adoption of local foods for consumers in Black Hawk County, Iowa," ISU General Staff Papers 2003010108000018195, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Amaranta Herrero & Fern Wickson & Rosa Binimelis, 2015. "Seeing GMOs from a Systems Perspective: The Need for Comparative Cartographies of Agri/Cultures for Sustainability Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Amy Zader, 2012. "Understanding quality food through cultural economy: the “politics of quality” in China’s northeast japonica rice," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(1), pages 53-63, March.
    4. Zachary A. Goldberg, 2022. "Development through commodification: exploring apple commodity production as pesticide promotion in the High Atlas," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 663-682, June.
    5. Ryan E. Galt, 2013. "The Moral Economy Is a Double-edged Sword: Explaining Farmers’ Earnings and Self-exploitation in Community-Supported Agriculture," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 89(4), pages 341-365, October.
    6. Louisa Prause & Sarah Hackfort & Margit Lindgren, 2021. "Digitalization and the third food regime," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 641-655, September.
    7. Endro Gunawan & John K. M. Kuwornu & Avishek Datta & Loc T. Nguyen, 2019. "Farmers’ Perceptions of the Warehouse Receipt System in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, March.

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