The Meaning of Origin: A Cultural Analysis of Consumers’ Perspectives on Food Origin

Abstract: This thesis is based on the results of a consumer-based research project carried out with the Swedish anthropological consultancy firm Inculture. By investigating the material retrieved from the project, the researcher aims to uncover the cultural and social processes behind consumer choices and more specifically what meaning the culture-based idea and beliefs about food origin bares in Swedish society. To gather the empirical material, in-depth interviews and shop-alongs were conducted with eight informants. Additionally 40 short shop-along interviews were done with food store visitors in the city of Malmö. Using actor-network theory’s notion of fluidity, this thesis demonstrates how food choices are not fixed and how the cultural meaning of food origin is highly contextual. It showed that the associations consumers have in Sweden with the cultural category food origin are positive and are often emotionally loaded.