'Marketing quality' in the food sector: Towards a critical engagement with the 'quality turn' in wine. Issue 85 (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parga-Dans, Eva; Alonso González, Pablo
• Is Part Of: Geoforum. Issue 85(2017)
• Page Start: 5
• Page End: 8
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Quality turn -- Marketing of quality -- Agro-food label -- Wine sector; Geography -- Periodicals; Human geography -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Periodicals; Sciences de la terre -- Périodiques; Géographie -- Périodiques; Géographie humaine -- Périodiques; Aménagement du territoire -- Périodiques; Earth sciences; Geography; Human geography; Regional planning; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 304.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.07.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-7185

Abstract

Abstract: Our review explores the role of quality conventions that have emerged since the 'quality turn' in the food sector. By examining how the 'quality turn' contributes to transforming the wine sector, it asks whether the labeling systems seek to certify the quality of productive practices (informative function) or are intended to create imaginaries of quality as a differentiated business market strategy (symbolic function). After discussing relevant literature in geography and related fields, this review uses two emblematic examples from the wine sector to argue for the need to move beyond the marketing of quality to deepen the analysis and understanding of quality. This analytic insight questions the viability and usefulness of quality conventions aimed at differentiation, territorial development, with a focus on markets with high added value, and argues for the need to open new lines of research and policy in this sphere.