Approach to the theory and practice of collective processes of politicization of food consumption in Uruguay, from the perspective of critical thinking

Doctoral thesis abstract

Abstract

Globalized food systems strengthen the accumulation and reproduction of capital, with drastic effects that place us in a crucial environmental and civilizational crisis. In this context, significant changes in food consumption are observed, which are a strategic dimension for its consolidation. Various reactions to the most drastic consequences have emerged and alternative consumption practices are being established through various movements and organizations around the world. In Uruguay, the agroecological movement has prioritized direct marketing channels and the organization of consumers who promote and practice politicized food consumption. This thesis analyzes and reflects on the collective processes of politicization of food consumption from agroecology in Uruguay and identifies the theoretical and political contributions generated. The theoretical-methodological approach was based on critical perspectives, specifically on the Marxist analysis of consumption, employing qualitative techniques for evidence collection. It characterizes consumer organizations that emerge within the agroecological movement, their historical trajectories and origins. It also investigates consumers' assessments of the production-consumption relationship and the foods consumed, allowing for the identification of constitutive and key elements of politicized consumption. Organizations made up of people from diverse militant backgrounds are evidenced, having incorporated the political dimension of consumption into their reflections and practices. These self-managed proposals, generated in a highly alienated space like consumption, pose tensions in relation to the hegemonic market, which are part of what is evidenced in the research. It concludes that the analyzed organizations present constitutive and key elements that allow for an expansion of the conceptualization of politicized consumption, enabling a transcendence beyond food to the rest of life’s reproduction.