ISSN:
1573-322X
Keywords:
Agriculture
;
consumers
;
ethics
;
food
;
markets
;
regulation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
,
Philosophy
Notes:
Abstract Disputes over agriculture and foodproduction have occurred against a background ofdisputed authority with regard to governments,experts, and single issue pressure groups. Consumershave intervened in quite significant ways with manyaltering their buying patterns. The conventionalassessment of consumer ``preferences'' throughaggregated purchases fails to reflect the ethicalnature of significant numbers of purchase decisions.Nevertheless, consumers seem to offer a wider basis onwhich to consider ethical issues. The author proposesthat a valuable inclusion of consumer opinion in thedebates would require a move away from neo-classicaleconomics and the selective inclusion of consumeropinion to unravel the complexity of (aggregated)consumer behavior. It is argued that Hirschman'sframework of ``exit, voice, and loyalty'' is a moreappropriate tool for the understanding of ethics infood consumption.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1009590630426
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