Consuming Interests

Focuses on the social dimensions of food production, distribution and retailing, reinforcing the idea that British retailing can only maintain its position through political and social activities in state and market structures. The book then goes on to look at broader consumer issues.
"Consuming Interests" focuses upon the key interests which lead to the provision of food choices: corporate retailers, government regulators and consumer organisations; and examines how a retailed form of food governance has emerged. Divided into three sections: Concepts and Strategies, National Strategies and Local Strategies, the book provides a detailed examination of corporate retailers, state agencies and consumer organisations involved in the food sector. The analysis raises some key social scientific questions concerning what the public can expect the central and local state to ensure; what limits there may be upon state action; and what the most appropriate balances should be between public and private interests in the provision of "quality" foods. Blending critical theory, empirical research and policy, "Consuming Interests" provides a topical and interdisciplinary exploration into the nature of food provision, policy and regulation and gives an insight into the broader social science concerns of the nature and powers of the contemporary state.