Alternative to Marketization of Food and Its Implications for Quality of Life: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

The marketization of emerging economies can facilitate economic development but may do little to advance societal well-being. The food sector of Turkey exemplifies rapid marketization, where economic development has brought large supermarkets through long supply chains, but left consumers feeling disconnected from the food and its producers. This chapter aims to show how an alternative type of market based on strengthened social ties and shared commitments has the potential to improve the overall life satisfaction of consumers in the context of an emerging economy. Shared commitments between market actors are characterized by collective action, congruent values and goals, and concern for the future welfare of others. Measurement-based empirical evidence from the customers of Miss Silk’s Farm, a predominant alternative food network in Turkey, indicates that reconnecting consumers and producers through shared commitments can improve life satisfaction. Public policies and procedures bolster shared commitments as a foundation for an alternative market that can improve well-being in emerging economies.