Consumer Risks and New Food Systems in Urban China

Abstract

Informed by sociocultural theories of risk, this research explores the responses of urban consumers to the globalization and liberalization of food marketing systems in China. Based on food shopping observations and focus groups in four major cities, the study investigates how consumers identify and navigate risk in a rapidly changing marketplace. The findings suggest that, while consumers have legitimate worries related to the safety of their food supply in the marketizing economy, the newly diverse food retail and product options also provide new strategies to actively manage risk. The findings substantiate the importance of geographical, political, and historical contexts for understanding how consumers interpret risks in the face of transitional marketing systems.