and responsibility.
1.4.2. Towards a necessary reconfiguration of supply and distribution channels
In the same vein as the obligation to rethink product offers, the members of the communities studied take into account their search for alternative supply structures, which are deployed alongside traditional distribution networks, which are characterized by unethical practices, namely, an appropriation of value and an unequal distribution of profits. This naturally leads to a shift towards substitute supply networks that respond to the imperatives of responsibility and sustainability, such as short, circular or cooperative networks, among others. These alternative structures rely on different operations and aims than those dependent on the convention model, insofar as they respond to expectations for healthy and authentic products, created in decent working conditions, for a fair price and with less of an environmental footprint.
While it is well known that these alternative structures already operate alongside the market, they are the subject of repeated demands from the members of the three communities, who call for them to become widespread throughout society as a whole and to progressively become the norm in consumption. According to these communities, short networks that use a smaller number of intermediaries should be prioritized, thereby promoting a more equitable distribution of revenues among (small) producers and retailers, and the proposition of more accessible prices for end consumers. To that end, a number of members have attributed the high cost of “green” products to the currently significant number of intermediaries between the production stage and the product becoming available to the end consumer. The supply networks promised by these communities are therefore characterized by direct purchasing from farmers, local producers, peasant associations, green cooperatives and activist structures, such as Enercoop and Kokopelli. To that end, the members share web links to various shopping websites to encourage, in particular, the use of Amap (Associations pour le maintien d’une agriculture paysanne – Associations for the Maintenance of Peasant Agriculture), as highlighted in the following post: “The Amap directory for France: www.reseau-amap.org. On this site you will find: information on what an Amap is, an Amap directory and a guide to help you to create your own Amap” (Le changement par la consommation). Lastly, the members of these communities promote experimentation with new forms of trade, following the example of networks of mutual aid, second-hand sales and free provision of goods and services between individuals sharing the same values of responsible consumption through the organization of regular or periodic events (such as trade fairs, markets or swap sites). A number of sites have thereby been made available to members, who have many spaces dedicated to talking about their experiences and recommendations from their participation in these events. In doing so, they contribute to creating a sort of library of knowledge that is distributed between the different members and continually enriched by the experiences shared. The example of the site recup.net, shared on several occasions by the community moderator of “Le changement par la consommation”, is telling. It highlights the importance of the circular economy in reducing the production of waste, protecting the environment and combating planned obsolescence:
The Recup site is a site for donation, reclamation and free swaps, where everyone is able to propose and give over the Internet, rather than throwing out what they want to get rid of. Recup.net is not a site facilitating sales or trades [...], but a site for donations. It must remain a sharing space where anyone can find free recovered objects.6
1.5. Conclusion and implications
The disenchantment and discontent expressed towards the consumerist society by socially responsible consumers organized in online communities cannot be reduced to a circumstantial phenomenon, but falls within a radical questioning of the traditional consumer model (Sansaloni 2006). This kind of resistance through engagement with and for a socially responsible consumption is thereby characterized by the structural and collective dimension of the phenomenon and by its appearance in different forms (ideological, institutional and operational) of consumption. In fact, numerous experts agree that in terms of a “citizen”, “socially responsible” or “sustainable development” position, it is not a question of a temporary enthusiasm, but rather of a lasting change in the collective consciousness and the practices of individuals. The serious trends that are taking shape and establish responsible and sustainable consumption as viable and fast-growing methods are evidence of this appetite for the values of reasonable consumption, environmental protection, solidarity and social justice. The account in Box 1.2 echoes this and shows the main ideas of an expert in socially responsible consumer engagement.
However, in order to be consistent and effective, this critical view of consumption should be accompanied by a reconsideration of the analytical frameworks used, as they currently rely on the same logics and measures as the market. Indeed, following the position defended by Koskenniemi (2019), we think that, in its current configuration, the opposition between “normal” or usual consumption and socially aware consumption is overrated and tends to reify the duality of these two concepts by establishing it as self-evident. However, the normalization of this duality goes against the critical approach that must be used in a relativist view, as what is currently considered oppositional or deviant (here) will not or will no longer necessarily be tomorrow (elsewhere). The typical illustration of this is in the consumption of organic products, long presented as a practice in opposition to the consumption of conventional products, but now considered entirely normal since it has been taken up by the market. This change from marginalization (opposition) to normality is typical of a swing movement that affects the norm and therefore deviance (Amine and Gicquel 2011). As a result, there is neither normality nor deviance nor resistance in absolute terms; everything is a question of context and the prevailing interpretative framework in a social group in a given space and at a given time.
Box 1.2. Interview with Thomas Radal, European representative of Ulula and a freelance consultant on responsible sourcing
The citizen-consumers involved in sustainable consumption have a key role in changing business practices. Beyond the mere act of buying, it is their role as “influencers”, particularly suited to social networks, that will have a greater impact on these practices. This role can largely be broken down as follows:
– provide information to independent experts on the problems and solutions, and share all of the elements collected. There are many falsehoods about responsible consumption that put companies in delicate situations. Some solutions that seem good, proposed by influencers on social networks, are sometimes bad at the scientific and environmental levels. For example, in textiles, plant dyes and natural materials are in particular demand, while numerous studies have concluded that these dyes are more polluting than synthetic ones, as they require many phytosanitary products. The engaged consumer should make an effort to get their information from a range of independent sources;
– become spokespeople for good solutions, including among consumers with different opinions. Engagement is also making the effort to compare one’s ideas with those of consumers with different opinions on different platforms. A true responsible product, from the moment it is useful, is the widespread “core product”, made in a sustainable manner. It is not the current optimum sustainable offering alone that will reduce our impact on the planet. In order not to encourage companies to develop separate “sustainable” offerings, but to transform their “core” offerings into sustainable offerings, the engaged consumer aims to convince the unengaged consumer, as it is together that they will change these practices;
– sign petitions to support draft legislation based on good sense. In ultracompetitive markets, such as the food and textile markets, a brand that works alone has little chance of making the market change quickly and would be attempting economic suicide if it decided to withdraw its products or make them more sustainable. Brands are prisoners of a system and have a competitiveness that puts a stop to green ambitions. The suppression of single-use plastics works because it is a law that imposes the same rules on everyone. The engaged citizen-consumer can also make their voice heard by signing petitions launched by civil society to support draft legislation and