W8. Local Food Products and Conflicts Around Quality Construction

In a period of globalization, consumers’ concerns have been growing and many initiatives for promoting sustainable and localised food systems have emerged. These initiatives, occurring all over the world, advocate the importance of linking territory, culture and food, and of promoting food quality and sustainable consumption. In this context, quality construction processes became important: they not only create opportunities for interaction among producers, consumers and others food chain actors, but also pave the way for debate, conflict and negotiation. For instance, a debate about quality itself leads to a discussion of traditional food practices, the relationship between quality and territorial identity, current and alternative certification frameworks and procedures, and the impact of the search for food quality practices on rural development. The session invites papers at both the theoretical (theories and concepts for analysing localised food systems and conflicts over quality construction) and practical level (case studies exploring approaches in different socio-cultural, economic and institutional contexts). In particular, papers with an interdisciplinary perspective and looking at European and Latin American countries are welcome.

A speech of Dacian Ciolos, Member of the European Commission
Responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development

All European countries have cultural traditions associated with food and traditional products. Considering that traditional products have an important role on the European culture, identity and heritage, the organizing committee of this International Congress of Traditional Products aims to present to all participants a series of experiences from different countries all around Europe.

With the participation of Andrea Marescotti (Erg Syal Italy) and Artur Cristovao (Erg Syal Portugal)