Reviews > Ecological modernisation in the Danish organic food sector

Ecological modernisation in the Danish organic food sector

Dorthe Elle Ilsøe
[History] Paper presented at the European Society for Rural Sociology, 20th Biennial Conference, Sligo, Ireland, 19-22 August 2003
January 2004

This paper introduces a case study of organic sales in Danish supermarkets based on qualitative interviews with supermarket actors and consumers, and discourse analysis. The Danish food sector has experienced an ecological modernization in parts of the production since the 1990's, when supermarkets and retailers began to sell and promote organic products. But today sales are stagnating. This case study analyses the experiences made by the supermarkets and discusses them in relation to the experiences made by consumers and the interplay between them. The supermarkets reproach the consumers for demanding organic products in inquiries, but at the same time not acting according to their attitudes. Now the sales frontrunners seem to be retiring to a more traditional role as shopkeepers and focussing on the sales statistics. This is the background for asking what kind of possibilities consumers have experienced in their daily life and what kind of responsibility we can put on them. The material shows that consumers have been active players in the present organic developments, but that the strong focus on the market and consumer demands also reveals a range of problems. For example, does everyday life dimensions such as lack of time and money, habits, problems in establishing stable orientations towards the food production, lack of selection etc. make barriers for growth in the sale of organic products? Consumers who buy organic products also send a message to the politicians and the food producers, but they do not experience a broader political support or alliance with them. The concept of ecological modernisation states that environmental improvements and changes can be made inside the ruling institutional organisations and on ordinary market terms and create cultural changes and reforms in the institutions. But the case of organic production in Denmark also reveals certain problems and limitations. Therefore, future strategies are discussed, focussing on creating new arenas, alliances and networks to strengthen the development of the organic food production and policy. They build on the ideas of sustainable development, taking the present experiences into account.