Nordic stakeholders in catering for sustainability: Chasm between ideology and practice?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore progressive stakeholders' understandings about and activities for sustainable catering as socio‐cultural embodiments in the Nordic countries. The paper also seeks to highlight focal points for development.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 46 structured telephone interviews with stakeholders within the food system were carried out during 2006 in the Nordic countries. The theoretical frame was established by Billig's idea of “ideological dilemmas” and the interview transcripts were coded into conceptual versus pragmatic speech regarding catering for sustainability. Thereafter, five subcategories were topically identified in each category representing variation in meanings.

Findings

Sustainable catering as conceptually understood corresponds to a holistic picture while the pragmatic view represents more everyday working orientation. The analysis delivered five topical categories of conceptual and pragmatic sustainability, which show how sustainability was dealt with in speech by mixing the conceptual ideal with the pragmatic on the “shop floor”, while evidently there seemed to be conceptualisations which do not have their proper counterpart within pragmatic action. The way sustainability was viewed suggests a translation of ideology into practice and to do that proper tools and support are needed, both within own activities and in the linking with other stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

The participants represented progressive stakeholders as they were members of a Nordic network for healthy and sustainable catering.

Originality/value

The study includes progressive professional stakeholders in different positions within the food system. A system approach is used to better locate differences and similarities in understanding the concept and its translational potential within the food system.

Citation

Post, A. and Mikkola, M. (2012), "Nordic stakeholders in catering for sustainability: Chasm between ideology and practice?", British Food Journal, Vol. 114 No. 5, pp. 743-761. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701211230015