Organic Carrots and Conventional Sticks Commodification, labelling and the case for regulatory de-fetishisation
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Published
06-05-2026
Marylynn Steckley
Joshua Steckley
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5252-7387
Abstract
The organic label is the most recognised food label in the world, and consumers perceive organic agriculture as healthier, safer and more sustainable than conventional agriculture. Yet scholars show that both organic and conventional farming systems are diverse, and the purported benefits of organic agriculture are not at all straightforward. At the grocery store, consumers have two options: organic or not. In this paper, we argue that this is a false dichotomy with concerning social and environmental consequences. Processes of commodification obscure the diverse social and ecological conditions under which both organic foods and conventional foods are produced, ultimately positioning ‘conventional’ production systems and foods as ‘other’. This has important implications for conventional agriculture, potentially disincentivising and demotivating producers from adopting environmentally and socially enriching farm management practices.
How to Cite
Steckley, M. and Steckley, J. (2026) “Organic Carrots and Conventional Sticks: Commodification, labelling and the case for regulatory de-fetishisation”, The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 32(1), pp. 169–193. doi:10.48416/ijsaf.v31i1.759.
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Keywords
Organic Agriculture, Conventional Agriculture, Commodification, Organic Labelling, De-fetishization
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How to Cite
Steckley, M. and Steckley, J. (2026) “Organic Carrots and Conventional Sticks: Commodification, labelling and the case for regulatory de-fetishisation”, The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 32(1), pp. 169–193. doi:10.48416/ijsaf.v31i1.759.
