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Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins

This paper offers a critical examination of the narrative landscape that has emerged with a new movement of alternative proteins intended as substitutes for conventional meat, milk and other animal-based food products. The alternative protein approaches analysed include edible insects, plant-based p...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sexton, Alexandra E, Garnett, Tara, Lorimer, Jamie
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: SAGE Publications 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6989034/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32039343
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2514848619827009
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author Sexton, Alexandra E
Garnett, Tara
Lorimer, Jamie
author_facet Sexton, Alexandra E
Garnett, Tara
Lorimer, Jamie
author_sort Sexton, Alexandra E
collection PubMed
description This paper offers a critical examination of the narrative landscape that has emerged with a new movement of alternative proteins intended as substitutes for conventional meat, milk and other animal-based food products. The alternative protein approaches analysed include edible insects, plant-based proteins and cellular agriculture, the latter of which encompasses ‘cultured’ or ‘clean’ meat, milk and egg products produced in vitro via cell-science methods. We build on previous research that has analysed the promissory narratives specific to cultured/clean meat by examining the key promises that have worked across the broader alternative protein movement. In doing so, we develop a five-fold typology that outlines the distinct yet interconnected claims that have operated in alternative protein promotional discourses to date. The second part of the paper examines the counter-narratives that have emerged in response to alternative protein claims from different stakeholders linked to conventional livestock production. We offer a second typology of three counter-narratives that have so far characterised these responses. Through mapping this narrative landscape, we show how different types of ‘goodness’ have been ascribed by alternative protein and conventional livestock stakeholders to their respective approaches. Moreover, our analysis reveals a series of tensions underpinning these contested food futures, many of which have long histories in broader debates over what constitutes better (protein) food production and consumption. The paper's discussion contributes to ongoing research across the social sciences on the ontological politics of (good) food, and the key role of narratives in constructing and contesting visions of ‘better’ food futures.
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spelling pubmed-69890342020-02-07 Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins Sexton, Alexandra E Garnett, Tara Lorimer, Jamie Environ Plan E Nat Space Articles This paper offers a critical examination of the narrative landscape that has emerged with a new movement of alternative proteins intended as substitutes for conventional meat, milk and other animal-based food products. The alternative protein approaches analysed include edible insects, plant-based proteins and cellular agriculture, the latter of which encompasses ‘cultured’ or ‘clean’ meat, milk and egg products produced in vitro via cell-science methods. We build on previous research that has analysed the promissory narratives specific to cultured/clean meat by examining the key promises that have worked across the broader alternative protein movement. In doing so, we develop a five-fold typology that outlines the distinct yet interconnected claims that have operated in alternative protein promotional discourses to date. The second part of the paper examines the counter-narratives that have emerged in response to alternative protein claims from different stakeholders linked to conventional livestock production. We offer a second typology of three counter-narratives that have so far characterised these responses. Through mapping this narrative landscape, we show how different types of ‘goodness’ have been ascribed by alternative protein and conventional livestock stakeholders to their respective approaches. Moreover, our analysis reveals a series of tensions underpinning these contested food futures, many of which have long histories in broader debates over what constitutes better (protein) food production and consumption. The paper's discussion contributes to ongoing research across the social sciences on the ontological politics of (good) food, and the key role of narratives in constructing and contesting visions of ‘better’ food futures. SAGE Publications 2019-02-06 2019-03 /pmc/articles/PMC6989034/ /pubmed/32039343 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2514848619827009 Text en © The Author(s) 2019 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons CC-BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
spellingShingle Articles
Sexton, Alexandra E
Garnett, Tara
Lorimer, Jamie
Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title_full Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title_fullStr Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title_full_unstemmed Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title_short Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins
title_sort framing the future of food: the contested promises of alternative proteins
topic Articles
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6989034/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32039343
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2514848619827009
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