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Endorsing Sustainable Food Consumption: Prospects from Public Catering

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Abstract

The aim of this article was to analyse an attempt to promote sustainable consumption by shaping the conditions for consumption. In particular, the focus lies on sustainable public catering as an approach to shaping both the supply of and demand for sustainable meals. In order to capture the processes of governing consumption, the way is traced in which rationalities (ways of thinking and calculating), technologies (means and instruments), visibilities (concrete manifestations), and identities (types of agents assumed) related to a policy intervention for sustainable public catering are interpreted and recreated by three main groups of actors involved: policy makers, catering professionals, and consumers. This analysis highlights the active role of practitioners in realizing policies for sustainable consumption. It has implications for policy makers and analysts: Reflexive policies should heed to actors’ unfolding interpretations as they can take the policy process in different directions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics and Management, P.O. Box 27 (Latokartanonkaari 9), 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland

    Stefan Wahlen

  2. National Consumer Research Centre, P.O. Box 5 (Kaikukatu 3), 00531, Helsinki, Finland

    Eva Heiskanen & Kristiina Aalto

Authors
  1. Stefan Wahlen
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  2. Eva Heiskanen
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  3. Kristiina Aalto
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Correspondence to Stefan Wahlen.

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Wahlen, S., Heiskanen, E. & Aalto, K. Endorsing Sustainable Food Consumption: Prospects from Public Catering. J Consum Policy 35, 7–21 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-011-9183-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-011-9183-4

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