Mucky carrots and other proxies: Problematising the knowledge-fix for sustainable and ethical consumption

摘要: This paper uses evidence from focus groups in England to consider how consumers think about and, more importantly, distinguish foods by both primary and secondary qualities, using their own judgement but also advice produced various organisations acting as ‘knowledge intermediaries’, such independent certification bodies. We thus the ‘sorting out’ that do with food, particularly developing typologies of ‘goodness’ ‘badness’, cues on which they base these judgements, material immediacy ‘mucky carrots’ abstract remoteness organic certification. In particular, we problematise ‘knowledge-fix’ underlies attempts provide knowledge promote sustainable ethical consumption. raises problems give assurance schemes meaning, are subject re-fetishization tend towards increasing scepticism distrust claims, making a ‘politics reconnection’ far easy.