The potential of bottom-up initiatives to produce a just transformation toward sustainable food consumption

Abstract

In the past decade, grassroots communities and cit­izen collectives have emerged as a bottom-up response to take the lead in addressing social ine­qualities and environmental sustainability chal­lenges, including the promotion of environmentally sustainable food consumption. These bottom-up initiatives (BUIs) generate new transformative ideas while simultaneously creating resilient communities and a sense of solidarity and collective unity. Despite the growing interest in the potential trans­formative role of BUIs, there is scarcity of studies investigating their influence at the individual con­sumer level and exploring mechanisms of potential change. The present study investigated whether participation in BUIs—already being implemented in five countries—is associated with individual change in particular food values and consumption behavior. To do so, we conducted a mixed-methods real-life study focusing on inequalities through the adoption of a gender+ intersectional[1] understanding of vulnerability. The key finding is a significant BUI-related change in sustainable con­sumption (plant-based and seasonal food) and val­ues (animal welfare and health) associated with healthier and more sustainable food choices in a sample where the majority of people self-identified as being socially vulnerable on diverse and often multiple grounds. We also identify several potential vulnerability-related barriers for change and suggest potential mechanisms driving the changes based on the analyses of the interviews with the BUI’s organizers.

[1] This term refers to a social vulnerability framework that considers how gender interacts with other aspects of a person’s identity and social categories such as class, sexuality, ethnicity etc. It emphasizes the complexity of identities and the cumulative effects of discrimination on multiple grounds.