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Risk, anti-reflexivity, and ethical neutralization in industrial food processing

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  • Diana Stuart
  • Michelle Worosz

Abstract

While innovations have fostered the mass production of food at low costs, there are externalities or side effects associated with high-volume food processing. We focus on foodborne illness linked to two commodities: ground beef and bagged salad greens. In our analysis, we draw from the concepts of risk, reflexive modernization, and techniques of ethical neutralization. For each commodity, we find that systems organized for industrial goals overlook how production models foster cross-contamination and widespread outbreaks. Responses to outbreaks tend to rely on technological fixes, which do not constitute the reflexive change needed to holistically and effectively address foodborne illness in the long term. We contend that powerful anti-reflexivity movements resist calls for reform and successfully maintain industrial goals and organization. Actions that thwart changes in agrifood systems to better protect consumers are unethical, yet they continue to be successful. We argue that specific techniques of ethical neutralization play an important part in their success. Research on anti-reflexivity and techniques of neutralization will serve to further expose the ethical issues associated with the industrial agrifood system and foster new guiding principles and organizational designs for food production. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

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  • Diana Stuart & Michelle Worosz, 2012. "Risk, anti-reflexivity, and ethical neutralization in industrial food processing," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(3), pages 287-301, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:29:y:2012:i:3:p:287-301
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-011-9337-7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Brun, Juliette & Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène & Pénicaud, Caroline & Cerf, Marianne & Meynard, Jean-Marc, 2021. "Designing a research agenda for coupled innovation towards sustainable agrifood systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Patrick Baur & Christy Getz & Jennifer Sowerwine, 2017. "Contradictions, consequences and the human toll of food safety culture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(3), pages 713-728, September.
    4. Jones, Kevin Edson & Davidson, Debra J., 2014. "Adapting to food safety crises: Interpreting success and failure in the Canadian response to BSE," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 250-258.
    5. Puech, Camille & Brulaire, Arnaud & Paraiso, Jérôme & Faloya, Vincent, 2021. "Collective design of innovative agroecological cropping systems for the industrial vegetable sector," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    6. Meynard, Jean-Marc & Jeuffroy, Marie-Hélène & Le Bail, Marianne & Lefèvre, Amélie & Magrini, Marie-Benoit & Michon, Camille, 2017. "Designing coupled innovations for the sustainability transition of agrifood systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 330-339.

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