De-commoditisation of Food: How Organic Farmers from the Madrid Region Reconnect Products and Places through Web Marketing
The growth of organic farming practices in the last
few decades is continuing to stimulate the international debate about
this alternative food market. As a part of a PhD project research
about embeddedness in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), this
paper focuses on the promotional aspects of organic farms websites
from the Madrid region. As a theoretical tool, some knowledge
categories drawn on the geographic studies literature are used to
classify the many ideas expressed in the web pages. By analysing
texts and pictures of 30 websites, the study aims to question how and
to what extent actors from organic world communicate to the
potential customers their personal beliefs about farming practices,
products qualities, and ecological and social benefits. Moreover, the
paper raises the question of whether organic farming laws and
regulations lack of completeness about the social and cultural aspects
of food.
[1] J. Bessière, “Local development and heritage: traditional food and
cuisine as tourist attractions in rural areas,” Sociologia Ruralis, vol. 38,
no. 1, pp. 21–34, Apr. 1998.
[2] I. Cook, P. Crang, and M. Thorpe, “Biographies and geographies:
consumer understandings of the origins of foods,” British Food Journal,
vol. 100, no. 3, pp. 162–167, Jan. 1998.
[3] B. Daviron, and I. Vagneron, “From commoditisation to decommoditisation…
and back again: discussing the role of sustainability
standards for agricultural products,” Development Policy Review, vol.
29, no. 1, pp. 91–113, Jan. 2011.
[4] R. Sonnino, “The power of place: embeddedness and local food systems
in Italy and the UK,” Anthropology of food, S2, Mar. 2007. Available:
http://aof.revues.org/454, accessed Feb. 2015.[5] A. Arce, and T. Marsden, “The social construction of development of
international food: a new research agenda,” Economic Geography, vol.
69, no. 3, pp. 293–311, Jul. 1993.
[6] D. Miller, “Could the Internet defetishise the commodity?,”
Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Vol. 21, no. 3, pp.
359–372, Apr. 2003.
[7] P. Allen, and M. Kovach, “The capitalist composition of organic: the
potential of markets in fulfilling the promise of organic agriculture,”
Agriculture and Human values, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 221–232, Sep. 2000.
[8] K. Polanyi, The great transformation: the political and economic origins
of our time. Boston: Beacon Press 1957, ch. 5.
[9] M. Fonte, “Knowledge, food and place. A way of producing, a way of
knowing,” Sociologia Ruralis, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 200–222, Jul. 2008.
[10] C. Morris, and J. Kirwan, “Food commodities, geographical knowledges
and the reconnection of production and consumption: the case of
naturally embedded food products,” Geoforum, vol. 41, no. 1, 131–143,
Jan. 2010.
[11] D. Carvalho de Rezende, “Alternative agri-food networks: convergences
and differences in the evolution of the markets,” Agroalimentaria, vol.
19, no. 37, pp. 17–37, Jul. – Dec. 2013.
[12] M. Lobley, A. Butler, and M. Winter, “Local organic food for local
people? Organic marketing strategies in England and Wales,” Regional
Studies, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 216–228, Feb. 2013.
[13] S. Dubuisson-Quellier, and C. Lamine, “Consumer involvement in fair
trade and local food systems: delegation and empowerment regimes,”
GeoJournal, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 55–65, Sep. 2008.
[14] G. Baourakis, M. Kourgiantakis, and A. Migdalas, “The impact of ecommerce
on firms and consumers in Crete,” British Food Journal, vol.
104, no. 8, pp. 580–590, Jan. 2002.
[15] S. Bhaskaran, M. Polonsky, J. Cary, and S. Fernandez,
“Environmentally sustainable food production and marketing.
Opportunity or hipe?,” British Food Journal, vol. 108, no. 8, pp. 677–
690, Aug. 2006.
[16] A. Sparkes, and B. Thomas, “The use of the Internet as a critical success
factor for the marketing of Welsh agri-food SMEs in the twenty-first
century,” British Food Journal, vol. 103, no. 5, pp. 331-347, Jan. 2001.
[17] P. Crang, “Displacement, consumption, and identity,” Environment and
Planning A, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 47–67, Jan. 1996.
[18] A. Sparkes, B. Thomas, N. Clifton, and M. Rosales, “The Internet as a
marketing interface for Welsh speciality small and medium-sized agrifood
enterprises,” Journal of Research in Marketing &
Entrepreneurship, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 144-161, 2001.
[19] J. Walsh, and S. Godfrey, “The Internet: a new era in customer service,”
European Management Journal, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 85–92, Feb. 2000.
[20] http://www.vegafertil.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[21] http://www.solerabodegas.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[22] V. Higgins, J. Dibden, and C. Cocklin, “Building alternative agri-food
networks: Certification, embeddedness and agri-environmental
governance,” Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 15–27, Jan.
2008.
[23] http://bodegasaavedra.com/es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[24] http:// www.conservascachopo.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[25] http:// www.carnedelafinca.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[26] International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, 2011.
“Principles of organic agriculture”. Available:
http://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-landmarks/principles-organicagriculture,
accessed February 2015.
[27] http://cooperativabesana.blogspot.it/. Accessed, February 2015.
[28] http://ecosecha.blogspot.it/. Accessed, February 2015.
[29] http://tresbolillo.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[30] http://www.lahuertadelafundacion.org/. Accessed, February 2015.
[31] http://valleyglesias.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[32] http://www.ecolactis.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[33] http://www.lapastoradeguadarrama.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[34] http://www.campograndemadrid.com/es.html. Accessed, February 2015.
[35] http://www.trilujo.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[36] http://www.carnesdemiraflores.com. Accessed, February 2015.
[37] http://www.qubel.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[38] D. Goodman, “The quality ‘turn’ and alternative food practices:
reflections and agenda,” Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-
7, Jan. 2003.
[39] European Union, “Agriculture and Rural Development. Organic
Farming,” 2015, available:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/index_en.htm,
accessed February 2015.
[40] “Whose harvest? The politics of organic seed certification,” GRAIN
Briefing, pp. 1–13, Jan. 2008. Available:
http://www.grain.org/article/entries/141-whose-harvest-the-politics-oforganic-
seed-certification, accessed February 2015.
[41] C. Micheloni, and A. Giubilato, (2004). “On-farm seed production:
integrity of organic farming systems and biodiversity safeguard,” in
Proc. 1st World Conference on Organic Seed, Rome, 2004, pp. 47–50.
[42] C. Stannard, and A. Toledo, “The international treaty on plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture and organic agriculture” in Proc. 1st
World Conference on Organic Seed, Rome, 2004, pp. 43–46.
[1] J. Bessière, “Local development and heritage: traditional food and
cuisine as tourist attractions in rural areas,” Sociologia Ruralis, vol. 38,
no. 1, pp. 21–34, Apr. 1998.
[2] I. Cook, P. Crang, and M. Thorpe, “Biographies and geographies:
consumer understandings of the origins of foods,” British Food Journal,
vol. 100, no. 3, pp. 162–167, Jan. 1998.
[3] B. Daviron, and I. Vagneron, “From commoditisation to decommoditisation…
and back again: discussing the role of sustainability
standards for agricultural products,” Development Policy Review, vol.
29, no. 1, pp. 91–113, Jan. 2011.
[4] R. Sonnino, “The power of place: embeddedness and local food systems
in Italy and the UK,” Anthropology of food, S2, Mar. 2007. Available:
http://aof.revues.org/454, accessed Feb. 2015.[5] A. Arce, and T. Marsden, “The social construction of development of
international food: a new research agenda,” Economic Geography, vol.
69, no. 3, pp. 293–311, Jul. 1993.
[6] D. Miller, “Could the Internet defetishise the commodity?,”
Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Vol. 21, no. 3, pp.
359–372, Apr. 2003.
[7] P. Allen, and M. Kovach, “The capitalist composition of organic: the
potential of markets in fulfilling the promise of organic agriculture,”
Agriculture and Human values, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 221–232, Sep. 2000.
[8] K. Polanyi, The great transformation: the political and economic origins
of our time. Boston: Beacon Press 1957, ch. 5.
[9] M. Fonte, “Knowledge, food and place. A way of producing, a way of
knowing,” Sociologia Ruralis, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 200–222, Jul. 2008.
[10] C. Morris, and J. Kirwan, “Food commodities, geographical knowledges
and the reconnection of production and consumption: the case of
naturally embedded food products,” Geoforum, vol. 41, no. 1, 131–143,
Jan. 2010.
[11] D. Carvalho de Rezende, “Alternative agri-food networks: convergences
and differences in the evolution of the markets,” Agroalimentaria, vol.
19, no. 37, pp. 17–37, Jul. – Dec. 2013.
[12] M. Lobley, A. Butler, and M. Winter, “Local organic food for local
people? Organic marketing strategies in England and Wales,” Regional
Studies, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 216–228, Feb. 2013.
[13] S. Dubuisson-Quellier, and C. Lamine, “Consumer involvement in fair
trade and local food systems: delegation and empowerment regimes,”
GeoJournal, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 55–65, Sep. 2008.
[14] G. Baourakis, M. Kourgiantakis, and A. Migdalas, “The impact of ecommerce
on firms and consumers in Crete,” British Food Journal, vol.
104, no. 8, pp. 580–590, Jan. 2002.
[15] S. Bhaskaran, M. Polonsky, J. Cary, and S. Fernandez,
“Environmentally sustainable food production and marketing.
Opportunity or hipe?,” British Food Journal, vol. 108, no. 8, pp. 677–
690, Aug. 2006.
[16] A. Sparkes, and B. Thomas, “The use of the Internet as a critical success
factor for the marketing of Welsh agri-food SMEs in the twenty-first
century,” British Food Journal, vol. 103, no. 5, pp. 331-347, Jan. 2001.
[17] P. Crang, “Displacement, consumption, and identity,” Environment and
Planning A, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 47–67, Jan. 1996.
[18] A. Sparkes, B. Thomas, N. Clifton, and M. Rosales, “The Internet as a
marketing interface for Welsh speciality small and medium-sized agrifood
enterprises,” Journal of Research in Marketing &
Entrepreneurship, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 144-161, 2001.
[19] J. Walsh, and S. Godfrey, “The Internet: a new era in customer service,”
European Management Journal, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 85–92, Feb. 2000.
[20] http://www.vegafertil.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[21] http://www.solerabodegas.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[22] V. Higgins, J. Dibden, and C. Cocklin, “Building alternative agri-food
networks: Certification, embeddedness and agri-environmental
governance,” Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 15–27, Jan.
2008.
[23] http://bodegasaavedra.com/es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[24] http:// www.conservascachopo.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[25] http:// www.carnedelafinca.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[26] International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, 2011.
“Principles of organic agriculture”. Available:
http://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-landmarks/principles-organicagriculture,
accessed February 2015.
[27] http://cooperativabesana.blogspot.it/. Accessed, February 2015.
[28] http://ecosecha.blogspot.it/. Accessed, February 2015.
[29] http://tresbolillo.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[30] http://www.lahuertadelafundacion.org/. Accessed, February 2015.
[31] http://valleyglesias.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[32] http://www.ecolactis.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[33] http://www.lapastoradeguadarrama.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[34] http://www.campograndemadrid.com/es.html. Accessed, February 2015.
[35] http://www.trilujo.es/. Accessed, February 2015.
[36] http://www.carnesdemiraflores.com. Accessed, February 2015.
[37] http://www.qubel.com/. Accessed, February 2015.
[38] D. Goodman, “The quality ‘turn’ and alternative food practices:
reflections and agenda,” Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-
7, Jan. 2003.
[39] European Union, “Agriculture and Rural Development. Organic
Farming,” 2015, available:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/index_en.htm,
accessed February 2015.
[40] “Whose harvest? The politics of organic seed certification,” GRAIN
Briefing, pp. 1–13, Jan. 2008. Available:
http://www.grain.org/article/entries/141-whose-harvest-the-politics-oforganic-
seed-certification, accessed February 2015.
[41] C. Micheloni, and A. Giubilato, (2004). “On-farm seed production:
integrity of organic farming systems and biodiversity safeguard,” in
Proc. 1st World Conference on Organic Seed, Rome, 2004, pp. 47–50.
[42] C. Stannard, and A. Toledo, “The international treaty on plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture and organic agriculture” in Proc. 1st
World Conference on Organic Seed, Rome, 2004, pp. 43–46.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:70488", author = "Salvatore Pinna", title = "De-commoditisation of Food: How Organic Farmers from the Madrid Region Reconnect Products and Places through Web Marketing", abstract = "The growth of organic farming practices in the last
few decades is continuing to stimulate the international debate about
this alternative food market. As a part of a PhD project research
about embeddedness in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), this
paper focuses on the promotional aspects of organic farms websites
from the Madrid region. As a theoretical tool, some knowledge
categories drawn on the geographic studies literature are used to
classify the many ideas expressed in the web pages. By analysing
texts and pictures of 30 websites, the study aims to question how and
to what extent actors from organic world communicate to the
potential customers their personal beliefs about farming practices,
products qualities, and ecological and social benefits. Moreover, the
paper raises the question of whether organic farming laws and
regulations lack of completeness about the social and cultural aspects
of food.", keywords = "Alternative food networks, de-commoditisation,
organic farming, Madrid, reconnection of food.", volume = "9", number = "7", pages = "2391-9", }
