Ethical Consumerism in the Agro-Food Sector: Is There Evidence of Consumption-Based Social Movements?

This paper explores the possibility of consumption-based social movements utilizing organically grown, Fair Trade labeled and locally grown food as a case study. Traditional social movements have an organizational base, however many people are making consumption choices based on concerns for environmental and social issues. The study described here uses a survey of Colorado residents and focus groups to better understand why some people purchase ethically produced food items. The results show that many consumers are not only purchasing these food items in large amounts, but many are doing so because they believe they are part of a larger community with shared values. This demonstrates that many believe social change based on consumption choices is possible and perhaps this is an example of a new type of social movement.