Social movements for sustainable agriculture in France: A Polanyian perspective

Several strands of social movement activism have recently coalesced in France to push a new agenda for sustainable agriculture into the policy arena. Activist groups are forming alliances nationally and across Europe to devise common strategies. The emergence of collective action by these groups has been undertheorized in social science literature dealing with sustainable agriculture. This article suggests one approach to bridging this knowledge gap by considering the origins of these movements in the context of theory based on karl Polanyi's (1957) book, The Great Transformation. Viewed as examples of Polanyi's concept of the double movement of societal societal self-protection, the histories and goals of these groups are interpreted as reflecting an ongoing struggle to define a place for nonmarket social and environmental concerns that are threatened by an increasing emphasis on agricultural competitiveness in global markets.