Guideline for harmonisation of measures and protocols measuring consumer as agents in food system

Task 4.5 aims to select the most relevant measures related to consumers as agents in the food system for harmonisation and develop guidelines. Within this task, we expand on the DONE framework by incorporating a novel concept of “food citizenship”. Food citizenship is an emerging paradigm of food choice that acknowledges that human relationship with food must be conceptualised within a broad food system. It recognises that food choice should be understood not merely as a matter of transaction (whereby food is treated as a commodity) but as a matter of relations between different agents within the food system actively shaping relationship between production and consumption. Conceptualising food choice as citizenship is about awareness of agents’ rights and responsibilities to maintain a sustainable, just food system. A range of variables can be relevant to the study of food choice from the perspective of food citizenship. These are examined both at the level of individual beliefs, perceptions and ethical positions, but also at the level of inter-group (inter-agents) relationships. (1) Trust, risk /benefit perceptions, and ethical beliefs – Beliefs are crucial for consumers’ food product acceptance and are a determinant of food choice. However, they also help us understand affective and cognitive factors underpinning people’s active engagement with a broad food system. These concepts are explored using a range of general and food/context-specific measures. The current task will map the concepts, identify the rationales behind different operationalisations of these concepts and systematically explore the measurements used. A careful triangulation of analysis of literature, synthesis of different conceptual and methodological approaches and expert-led dialogue will culminate in clear, transparent and well- justified guidelines and best practices. The guidelines will clarify the possibilities for harmonised approach to these measures. Furthermore, it will help us develop a framework of possible correlates of these factors with a possibility to create new innovative datasets to better understand the factors that promote food citizenship. (2) Relationships within the food system - Beyond the affective-cognitive factors of engagement, such as trust and risk, human engagement with the food system is also a matter of intra-group processes such as community engagement/action, social support, participation in culturally-specific rituals and active participation in food production (such as allotment farming). In addition, inter-group dynamic based on the role different agents play in the food system and their perceptions of the way in which the dynamic system of agents is configured – can also influence food choice. For instance, identification with a particular cause can be linked to food activism, which in turn can reinforce and further influence food choice. The task will aim to identify the constructs which can capture the determinants of food choice based on people’s active engagement with the food system as moral agents. These could include variables such as strength of identification and group belonging, participation in community action, inter-group conflict, social ties. The choice of variables will be driven by theoretical understanding of their likely correlation with food choice. Once defined and systematised, the measures will be reviewed and harmonised in a guideline.