Potential of transformative consumer learning for governance for animal welfare by public catering?

Abstract

Public catering, defined as the institutional provision of food by state, or quasi-state institutions, carries a political responsibility for progressing sustainable food systems. Enhancing animal welfare in conventional production is an often ignored strategy for public procurement however, sidelined by strategies such as increasing vegetable and organic food consumption. However, if public caterers are to represent their customers’ societal views, what kind of approach could inform their procurement strategy regarding animal welfare? This paper uses a qualitative research approach to investigate consumers’ advanced everyday transformative learning potential regarding animal welfare issues, highlighting consumer dispositions as defensive, critical, self-interested and change oriented. The framing of consumer views by transformative learning offers a dynamic view for developing demand for increased animal welfare within supply chains, although resistant consumer positions remain a challenge for proponents of transformative education. Advanced ethical consumer dispositions are claimed to legitimate the potential for the governance for animal welfare by public caterers and to represent a possible future orientation for sustainable food procurement practices.