The Risk Society and Food Consumption

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the theme of the "risk society" in respect to food production and distribution. The paper defines the term "risk society" and looks at how decisions are made to ignore risks in order to benefit from the overall convenience gained through using a commercialized food distribution system. The paper discusses the specific risks associated with commercialized agriculture. The paper points out how some consumers avoid these risks through engaging in alternative food acquisition systems, such as purchasing organic products or buying food through community supported agriculture organizations.

Outline:
Introduction
The Theme of the Risk Society
Risk Society and the Rationale for Alternative Food Supplies
Examples of Alternative Food Supplies
Summary

From the Paper:

"Mainstreamed, commercialized food distribution tends to be a heavily industrialized process. When food is treated like a commodity, it is purposefully marketed towards potential consumers and made available through specific modes of sale, such as supermarkets and restaurants. This process does help facilitate the movement of food through transportation and improves access to food products among those consumers who are in proximity to local points of distribution. However, some social scientists suggest that it is easy to confuse the aspects of convenience with those of safety, especially when it is frequently argued that a centralized system of food distribution enables ease of access for monitoring food product safety through the use of independent government oversight (e.g.: the Food and Drug Administration). In this sense, it can be argued that these perceptions of commercialized food purposefully ignore the risks that are associated with convenient food distribution."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adam, B. (2000). The Risk Society and Beyond: Critical Issues for Social Theory. Los Angeles (CA): Sage Publications, Ltd.
• Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. Los Angeles (CA): Sage Publications, Ltd.
• Beck, U. (1999). World Risk Society. Cambridge (UK): Polity Press.
• Caruso, D. (2006). Intervention: Confronting the Real Risks of Genetic Engineering and Life on a Biotech Planet. Los Alamos (NV): Hybrid Vigor Institute.
• DuPuis, E. M. (2000). Not in my body: rBGH and the rise of organic milk. Agriculture and Human Values. 17. 283 - 295.

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