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Collective Purchase: Moving Local and Organic Foods beyond the Niche Market

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  • Ruth Little
  • Damian Maye
  • Brian Ilbery

Abstract

The authors draw attention to the creative possibilities offered by collective purchase as a mechanism to move local and organic foods beyond the niche market. The food-buying group and cooperative style of food purchasing has received only scant reference in the alternative food and ethical consumption literatures, but it offers much in terms of historical context and future lessons for growth in the sector. ‘We can do it better’ is an experimental ethic of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture, but it resonates strongly with the present-day ‘alternatives’ associated with the local and organic food movement. The authors use Gibson-Graham's notion of ‘diverse economies’ to examine selected buying groups and food cooperatives in North America, Europe, and Japan. The results reveal a highly pixilated and evolving mix of motivations and ethics. The ‘ideology first, practicalities later’ approach appears to be a powerful influence, symbolising the ‘becomingness’ of ethical purchasing in these contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruth Little & Damian Maye & Brian Ilbery, 2010. "Collective Purchase: Moving Local and Organic Foods beyond the Niche Market," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(8), pages 1797-1813, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:8:p:1797-1813
    DOI: 10.1068/a4262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harriet Friedmann, 2007. "Scaling up: Bringing public institutions and food service corporations into the project for a local, sustainable food system in Ontario," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 24(3), pages 389-398, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Wills & Anthony Arundel, 2017. "Internet-enabled access to alternative food networks: A comparison of online and offline food shoppers and their differing interpretations of quality," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(3), pages 701-712, September.
    2. Waldrop, Megan & McCluskey, Jill, 2016. "Impact of Organic, Sustainable, and Biodynamic Wine Making Practices on Wine Prices," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235217, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Adanella Rossi, 2017. "Beyond Food Provisioning: The Transformative Potential of Grassroots Innovation around Food," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Giaime Berti & Catherine Mulligan, 2016. "Competitiveness of Small Farms and Innovative Food Supply Chains: The Role of Food Hubs in Creating Sustainable Regional and Local Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-31, July.
    5. Silvia Blasi & Silvia Rita Sedita, 2020. "The diffusion of a policy innovation in the energy sector: evidence from the collective switching case in Europe," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(6), pages 680-704, June.

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