Consuming ‘Green’: The symbolic construction of organic foods

One of the key features of the recent dramatic growth in the organic food industries is the extent to which this is demand driven, suggesting the need to focus analytical attention more closely on the agency of consumers within organic food networks. In this paper we begin by drawing from focus groups undertaken with consumers throughout Australia to examine the meanings of food they identify to be important. In order to examine the significance of ‘green’ signifiers in the consumption practices of Australian consumers, we then examine the various meanings consumers associated with organic food. This analysis illustrates consumers’ understandings of the range of advantages and disadvantages associated with the consumption of such foods. An examination of these findings also provides a preliminary understanding of the social and cultural meanings Australian consumers value, as well as the barriers and opportunities for expanding the organic industry in Australia.