Labelling mountain food in Europe: a quality distinction or a way to join forces and strengthen mountain food chains?
Labelliser les produits agro-alimentaires de montagne en Europe: une marque de qualité ou un moyen de mobiliser et renforcer les filières agro-alimentaires de montagne?
Résumé
Territorial labelling of mountain food products serves as a marker of both product quality traits and cultural heritage. In mountain regions, the use of territorial labelling relates to competitiveness of farming enterprises and to the renewed attractiveness and identity of the territorial domain. A wide range of farming practices across European mountains, with a wealth of tradition and know-how, generates a variety of mountain products appreciated by consumers (EuroMARC, 2009; European Commission, 2011). However, farmers face difficulties in valorising this potential marketing advantage and in getting a fair price for their products (European Commission, 2009). The use of quality labels has been proposed as a strategy to resolve this. To help promote their products, mountain actors across Europe use a variety of quality labels linked to mountain territories. Territorial labels have the potential to structure and govern food chains and are conceptualised as processes of respatialization/relocalization of food systems studied in the literature on origin-based quality in the food sector. This literature contextualises the shift from production to quality-driven system in the specific histories and networks of territories (Allaire & Sylvander, 1997; Allaire, 2002, 2010); it is particularly interested in understanding how the regulatory frames underlying quality labels are shaped by local organisational actors and generate collaborative structures (Allaire, 2002).
Domaines
Sciences de l'Homme et Société
Loading...