Christmas, climate & (over) consumption - it's all getting a bit confusing

Watching the BBC news this Boxing Day morning I could not help wondering about the sustainability challenges we face.

First the weather. Another deluge from the skies for Cumbria and the North West as 'rare' red flood warnings are issued and threats to life are said to be imminent. Yet in southern England it's 'balmy' and they are selling Christmas pudding flavoured ice cream as people flock to the beach. A moment later we are discussing record online sales and the possibility of the same on Boxing day, with the usual images of shoppers spending billions on useless and soon to be disposed of items flashing across the screen. In the newspaper review we are informed that we can sell the UK for £8 trillion - imagine that? But that is exactly what we are doing to the planet - selling it down the river.

Notwithstanding the unsustainable production and consumption of Christmas trees, a UK Christmas style dinner is said to equate with 20kg of carbon dioxide, over half for the Turkey alone. Spending on other food items over the festive period - alongside travel, lighting and gifts - is estimated to result in as much as 650 kg of CO2 emissions per person. And now we've got our annual Christmas day meat fest out of the way, we embark on, or should I say continue our consumption frenzy into the new year at an unknown yet growing cost to the environment and our long term security.

People are optimistic after #COP21 and there are are signs of change. After decades of corporate greenwashing many big-brand companies are competing hard to be 'sustainability leaders'. By partnering with governments and NGOs, some businesses attain increased credibility and leverage and sustainbability benefits start to emerge. Yet the "big brand" takover of sustainability is failing to find deeper solutions to the environmental problems we face, many of which are created by runaway over consumption. As the BBC news lead Naga Munchetty suggested in her response to the declaration of the UK's estimated for-sale value, "hang on there a minute, it's all getting a bit confusing."

The Structural Invisibility of Outsiders: The Role of Migrant Labour in the Meat-Processing Industry

John Lever and Paul Milbourne (2015) Sociology, Open Access, published first on-line 23rd December 2015.

Abstract: This article examines the role of migrant workers in meat-processing factories in the UK. Drawing on materials from mixed methods research in a number of case study towns across Wales, we explore the structural and spatial processes that position migrant workers as outsiders. While state policy and immigration controls are often presented as a way of protecting migrant workers from work-based exploitation and ensuring jobs for British workers, our research highlights that the situation ‘on the ground’ is more complex. We argue that ‘self-exploitation’ among the migrant workforce is linked to the strategies of employers and the organisation of work, and that hyper-flexible work patterns have reinforced the spatial and social invisibilities of migrant workers in this sector. While this creates problems for migrant workers, we conclude that it is beneficial to supermarkets looking to supply consumers with the regular supply of cheap food to which they have become accustomed. Keywords: civilising process, invisibility, liminality, meat processing, migrant workers, outsiders, Wales.

Europe’s perennial "outsiders": A processual approach to Roma stigmatization and ghettoization

Ryan Powell and John Lever (2015) Current Sociology, published first on-line 27th July 2015

Abstract: This paper draws on the theoretical work of Norbert Elias and Loïc Wacquant in seeking to understand the stigmatized and marginalized position of the Roma population within Europe. The paper argues that the persistent persecution of Roma, reflected in social policy, cannot be understood without reference to long-term social processes, which shape the nature of the asymmetric power relations between Roma and non-Roma. Elias's theory of established-outsider relations is applied at the intra-state European level in arguing that Roma constitute a cross-border "outsider" group; with their intense stigmatization explained and perpetuated by a common set of collective fantasies which are maintained through complex group processes of disidentification, and which result in Roma being seen as of lesser human worth. Wacquant's theoretical concept of the "ghetto" is then drawn upon to show how the manifestations of stigmatization for the stigmatized are at once psychological, social and spatial. The paper suggests that the synthesis of the two theorists' relational, theoretical concepts allows for an approach that can expose the way in which power is exercised within and through group relations. Such an approach emphasizes the centrality of the interdependence between Roma and non-Roma, and the fluctuating power balance that characterises that relationship across time and space. The paper concludes that, while existing research focused on policy and outcomes is useful in understanding the negative contemporary experiences of Roma populations, they need to be understood in the context of wider social processes and historical continuities in seeking to elucidate how these processes shape policies and contribute to social and spatial marginalization. Key words: Roma; disidentification; stigmatization; marginalization; ghettoization; social integration; Norbert Elias; Loїc Wacquant.

Halal Matters: Islam, politics and markets in global perspective

Forthcoming from Routledge July 19th 2015 

Bergeaud-Blackler, F., Fischer, J. and Lever, J.

In today’s globalized world, halal (meaning ‘permissible’ or ‘lawful’) is about more than food. Politics, power and ethics all play a role in the halal industry in setting new standards for production, trade, consumption and regulation. The question of how modern halal markets are constituted is increasingly important and complex. Written from a unique interdisciplinary global perspective, this book demonstrates that as the market for halal products and services is expanding and standardizing, it is also fraught with political, social and economic contestation and difference. The discussion is illustrated by rich ethnographic case studies from a range of contexts, and consideration is given to both Muslim majority and minority societies. Halal Matters will be of interest to students and scholars working across the humanities and social sciences, including anthropology, sociology and religious studies.

Sustainable development and the increasing 'visibility' of animal slaughter

Until recently the slaughter of animals for human consumption was almost invisible; many of us consumed meat but remained ignorant of its origins. From the late 20th century onwards a series of farming crises raised concerns about animal welfare within industrial food production systems, but the slaughter of animals was rarely discussed. Over the first decades of the 21st century this has started to change. Animal slaughter is now debated more openly than at any time over the last 250 years.

The invisibility of animal slaughter is part of what Norbert Elias (2000) refers to as the process of civilisation. As people have come to live together in greater numbers over the course of many centuries, Elias shows that many of the things taken to be offensive in ‘civilised society’ have gradually disappeared from view – pushed behind the scenes of everyday life. The development of the modern abattoir is a prime example. From the 18th century onwards, large public abattoirs gradually replaced small private slaughterhouses, before they too were pushed out to the urban fringe where they could no longer offend ‘civilised sensibilities’ (Otter 2008). As Vialles (1994, p. 27) notes:

“Forced out of towns, they [abattoirs] were equally banished from the countryside. Condemned to an existence on the fringes of urban and rural society, they were cut off from the consumer and from the stockbreeder alike. The former could henceforth be unaware of the origin of the meat he was eating, the latter of the destination of the animal he was rearing” (1994, p. 27).

New directions?
As the civilising process progressed throughout the 20th century, ethnic minorities gradually gained power in their relations with previously superior groups. As the mass migration of former colonial peoples into countries such as the UK and France increased, the cultural practices of minorities became more visible. Over recent decades, a number of complex global processes have combined to push these developments in new directions. One notable trend has been the rapid growth and development of markets for ‘authentic’ halal meat products. Recent #halalhysteria in the UK bears witness to the extraordinary social and cultural (never mind economic) impact of these developments.

The welfare of animals at the time of killing is significant in these debates, yet if we take a longer-term view it is clear that there are much bigger issues at stake. Over recent decades, consumers everywhere have been hit by food scandals and trust in food has become a major issue. While consumers in the UK were outraged by horsemeat scandal of 2013, Muslim consumers are equally concerned by the threat of haram ingredients and contaminants in halal products. This situation draws attention to important debates about global food sustainability and security.

Farm animal welfare & sustainable development
Improving animal welfare is as a central component of the three pillars of sustainable development – Environment, Society and Economy. Environmentally animal agriculture has a significant impact on climate change and it has been estimated that in total it generates 18% of all greenhouse gases. Animal agriculture is also in direct competition with humans for water, food, space and other scarce resources and it therefore has a significant impact on food security. There are also impacts on water sanitation, ecosystems and ecological conservation; improving the conditions under which animals are kept is essential if we are to improve outcomes in this area. On the societal level, improving animal welfare can impact human health by countering the spread of pathogens with the potential to spread infectious disease; it can also help to create sustainable livelihoods in rural communities. And on the economic front, better farm animal welfare has the potential for greater efficiencies of production, sustainable procurement and consumption practices and enhanced food safety.

As concerns over sustainability and food security intensify over the coming decades, the concerns of consumer everywhere will be aligned around these emergent global issues. While not so long ago debate about animal slaughter was pushed behind the scenes of everyday life because it offended ‘civilised sensibilities’, today it is discussed and debated more openly. Over the long term this cannot be a bad thing; the more visible animal slaughter becomes, the more it will draw attention towards a range of invisible issues threatening the sustainability and security of global food production.