In questa trama di interconnessioni tematiche e territoriali attraverso un continuum di azione che si estende dai comportamenti individuali agli accordi intergovernativi, le città entrano in scena come nodi primari delle reti alternative di approvvigionamento alimentare (alternative food networks): alla diffusione dei comportamenti di consumo critico e al conseguente ridisegno delle relazioni città/ campagna (filiere corte, green public procurement, community-supported agriculture), si affiancano inoltre esperienze più radicali di reinvenzione del ciclo urbano del cibo, di cui la fioritura pressoché ubiquitaria di orti sociali e l'integrazione di varie forme di solidarietà alimentare nell'economia urbana sono i segni più precoci (Cabannes & Raposo, 2013 Lang, 2010 Manganelli & Moulaert, 2018). We conclude with some recommendations as to how public health advocates and policy entrepreneurs might strategically use and contest labelling and certification schemes to build support for transformative food system change and to avoid the regressive consequences of labelling. Labelling can only be effective when connected to a broader suite of measures to reduce overall production and consumption of meat. We suggest the need for regulatory governance that is ecological by design. We show that labelling is generally ineffective as a pathway to transformative food system change for three reasons: it does not do enough to redistribute power away from dominant actors to those harmed by the food system it is vulnerable to greenwashing and reductionism and it leads to market segmentation rather than collective political action. We use empirical data from a study of the regulatory politics of animal welfare and environmental claims on Australian products together with an ecological regulation conceptual approach to critically evaluate the potential of labelling as a regulatory mechanism. This paper evaluates the pitfalls and potentials of labelling as an incremental regulatory governance stepping-stone to transformative food system change. One policy response frequently suggested by parties from all sectors (industry, government and civil society) is voluntary or mandatory labelling reforms to educate consumers about the healthiness and sustainability of food products, and thus reduce demand. Yet the continuing and expanding use of animals is entrenched in food systems. The over-production and over-consumption of meat and dairy products is resource-intensive, energy-dense and creates public health and food equity risks, including the creation of superbugs and antimicrobial resistance, contamination and pollution of land and waterways, and injustice to animals and humans who work in the sector. One important way to transform food systems for human and planetary health would be to reduce the production and consumption of animals for food. It could be submerged by ‘value-for-money’ consumerism or it could become a champion of what the author calls an emerging set of ‘omnistandards’, under which fragmented single issues coalesce and articulate a new paradigm. But in the 21st century, with the world’s food system under economic, environmental, social, and political stress, the ethical-food umbrella faces an uncertain future.
Far from being new, the ethical-food banner in the late 20th century has resurrected some older traditions, including those which contested power relations in the food system. The mainstream corporate sector sees ethical food as an umbrella term under which many, sometimes even competing, aspirations nestle, but which can be incorporated as additional niche markets. Civil society movements see it as a rallying point to restructure food systems, from land use to consumption. Looking mainly at Europe and developed countries, it is suggested that the notion of ethical food is plastic, but that therein lie its strength and appeal. The author considers how ethical food raises complex challenges for policy makers.
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