Sustainability beyond the middle class. Food-related practices in households with low socioeconomic status

The paper explores the food-related practices of individuals and families with low socioeconomic status (SES), living in Polish cities and examines them through the lens of sustainability. It draws on two qualitative research groups: older people either already receiving retirement pensions below the minimum statutory pension or expecting to receive such benefits in the near future, and families with children. Building on a praxeological approach, the paper uncovers everyday practices that bear the hallmarks of sustainability, but are often overlooked in mainstream sustainability discourse. While dominant narratives on sustainability focus mainly on the middle class in Western affluent societies and reduce actions for sustainability to “ethical consumerism”, this article seeks to draw attention to the everyday practices of marginalised groups, often part of informal economies, embodying key sustainable principles. By situating these practices within the broader context of the nexus of consumption, social class and global (semi-)periphery, the paper challenges the Western-centric and innovation-driven focus of current sustainability frameworks and calls for a more inclusive approach, acknowledging different economic and socio-cultural contexts.