The Logic of Place: Quebec Nationalism and the Emergence of a Market for Quebec Artisanal Cheese

Abstract

Despite the homogenizing force of globalization, place and community remain critical to market development. I discuss how nationalism can inform a sense of community and place, and contribute to the formation of new markets. The research is a comparative study of artisanal cheese markets in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Although early French settlers in Quebec produced cheeses from the French tradition, the tradition had largely disappeared by the turn of the 19th century. However, over the past two decades a vibrant market for artisanal cheese has developed in Quebec comprised of over 70 firms, while in Ontario there are 11 artisanal producers. I show how Quebec nationalism informed the development of the Quebec market, and compare the Quebec case to Ontario. I discuss implications for the institutional perspective on entrepreneurship and new market emergence.