Sexing sustainability

2014-2017 Australian Research Council Discovery Project: The future of food: the sustainable production & consumption of fish

Elspeth ProbynDepartment of Gender & Cultural Studies

The University of Sydney, Australia

buying sustainable fish?

An Australian study reports that 7% of consumers are concerned with sustainability, while only 3% say they would pay 10% more to buy sustainable fish (Birch and Lawley, 2011).

How to make people care about the ocean and fish?

How to make consumers care about fishers?

How the media is making fish sexy

A Channel Four Britdoc Foundation study found that after a year of its release 4.7 million people in the UK were aware of the documentary that the commitment to buy sustainable fish [of those who had watched it] rose from 43 per cent to 84 per cent.

‘Heston Blumenthal: Food's future isjellyfish and chips’ The New Scientist 10/6/2010

Fish Love: ‘Lizzy Jagger Poses With Dead Fish For Fishlove Sustainable Seafood Photo Project’

‘What better way is there to support sustainable seafood than by posing nude with some dead fish?’

‘Studies of consumption trends in developed countries find that women are more likely than men to buy recyclable, eco-labelled, energy-efficient and Fair Trade products … women spend far more time than men seeking information on sustainable consumption and lifestyle alternatives.’ (UN Research Institute on Social Development, 2012)

Women do the shopping and cooking but who do advertisers address?

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‘Waitrose only ever sells fresh cod sustainably sourced.’

‘ it’s only the fish that John West rejects that makes John West the best.’ .

‘Every day we shape our planet's future when we make small life decisions - what we buy, what we eat, how we travel. The future of the planet is in our hands; the future is man-made.’

Take home message:

The UK & US media are making fish sexy through high production images and the use of celebrity endorsement. Campaigns like Hugh’s Fish Fight use social media in a savvy way to make people care about fish.

But is this making consumers care about fishers? Can you have a sustainable fishery without fishers?

The imagery of fishermen is heroic and pitched to men. But women overwhelmingly do the shopping and prep of meals. And they are more aware and willing to support sustainability.

The answer? Talk to women.