Introduction

There can be no doubt that the current industrial foodsystem is broken. Examples of large-scale diseaseoutbreaks such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE), and scandals such as melamine-taintedpowdered milk and horsemeat in frozen beef lasagnestill linger in the public consciousness. Asprevious chapters have illustrated, perhaps a morefitting descriptor of the global food system wouldbe that of a system of ‘organised crime’. Organisedcrime refers to illegal activities or harmfuloffences at transnational or national levelundertaken purely for profit. The charge sheet fororganised crime by the global food system documentsa litany of harmful or illegal activities againstthe environment, consumers, food producers andagricultural workers, public health and animalwelfare. Against this background consumers areincreasingly seeking truth and transparency as tothe provenance of their food.

This chapter explores ‘counter crime’, namely,activities that prevent or defend against criminalactions. These actions, some underpinned bydemocratic principles, constitute a participatorymovement whereby citizens exert some modicum ofcontrol over their food system. Collectively knownas food democracy, it offers a quantum of hope inwhat Hinrichs (2007, pp 5–6) calls ‘re-making’ thefood system. Hinrichs argues that ‘remaking shiftsus from a paralysing focus on what is worrying,wrong, destructive and oppressive about our currentfood system to a wide-angle view that takes in thebroader landscape whose troubling contours we beginto notice, are punctuated by encouraging signs ofchange.’ Starting with an investigation of foodconsumption crimes, this chapter explores examplesof citizen ‘counter crime’ movements usingoppositional politics to galvanise action, thenfocusing on food democracy and constructivistapproaches to remake the food system.

Crimes of consumption

Crime in this context does not relate to activitiesthat are law-breaking as such, but rather to thosewho use their powers to subvert standards of decencyand fair play. Use of these powers, especially whenturned on those who have no ability to fight back,can be considered criminal in a broad sense. InChapter 1 of this volume, Gray suggests a food crimeperspective is one that may include ‘situations oflaw-making or law-breaking, suspect or ineffectiveenforcement or lack thereof, harms resulting frominsufficient or absent regulation, or philosophicaland pragmatic questions of corruption, deviance,justice and erroneousness.’ Three examples areexplored below.