Marketing and food consumption: Nurturing new possibilities

Abstract

This article introduces the RAM 2024 Special Issue on Marketing and Food, designed to report on and stimulate new scientific advancements in the field. It discusses the conflicting concerns related to food consumption and the emerging practices of consumers and industry players. The Special Issue explores how consumers react to new technologies used in post-purchase situations through the representation of experiences via social media (David et al., 2024). Food is at the heart of today’s sustainability issues, and this Special Issue shows that the environmental impact of food consumption is influenced by the provisioning systems geographically available for consumers (Mourre et al., 2024) and by the perceived and objective accessibility of local food at the moment of choice (in supermarkets or restaurants; Garcia et al., 2024). Consumers’ reactions to retailers’ sustainable initiatives to manage and prevent food waste are shown to be ambivalent (Hanan et al., 2024), revealing a complex relationship. Finally, the Special Issue explores consumers’ reconnection with food consumption through mindful eating, allowing a greater focus on internal sensations and fostering awareness of both personal motivations and the environmental impact of consumption (Dupont Le Priol and Schmitt, 2024). Avenues for future research and implications for practice and policy are discussed.