The ‘intermittent’ organic consumers: a sociological interpretation of the variability of organic consumption.

Summary

Market studies give evidence that the growth of organic consumption relies much more on occasional consumers than on exclusive ones. Therefore it is worth trying to understand qualitatively the practices and representations of these ‘intermittent’ organic eaters. From the analysis of eaters’ trajectories, of their motivations and concerns, and of their provisioning, cooking and eating practices, this paper will demonstrate that the organic choice is more heterogeneous than it is often considered, that it encompasses a variety of concerns, and that it consists in a changing balance between delegation to the label and implication. This analysis finally points out the necessity to tightly link production and consumption perspectives so as to address the future of organics