Until recently, according to Canadian sociologists, the high status food consumer was considered a “foodie,” someone “who defines good taste through aesthetic standards.” Recent research suggests that the wealthy and most educated consumers are “ethical foodies,” people who want culinary delicacies but also want to have a positive impact through their buying patterns.
Canadian sociologists surveyed the food consumption patterns of Torontonians. The research was conducted at a range of venues including discount grocery stores, farmers’ markets and “premium grocery stores.” The scientists categorized the consumers as foodies, ethical consumers, ethical foodies (a combination of the latter two groups) or people whose purchasing decisions were not greatly influenced by ethical or aesthetic factors.
Small-scale farmers might be interested in satisfying the “ethical foodie” demand because these consumers shop at farmers’ markets, as well as expensive grocery stores and specialized grocers.
“In an era when the values of tolerance, cosmopolitanism and meritocracy are highly valued by elites, the most prestigious consumption is not simply what costs the most or is the most fashionable,” conclude the authors. “Consumption can and should also express other normative values, like inclusivity, merit and sustainability.”
Source: Emily Huddart Kennedy, Shyon Baumann, Josée Johnston. Eating for Taste and Eating for Change: Ethical Consumption as a High-Status Practice. Social Forces, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/sf/soy113