Alternative Food Hedonism
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We need to rethink hedonism in the age of sustainability. This is true in many domains of life and also when it comes to food. Many iconic foods associated with deliciousness in the meat-and diary-focused Western gastronomy are not compatible with the green transition in foodways. We need to learn to enjoy different foods and to enjoy food differently.In this essay, I argue that philosopher Kate Soper’s concept of alternative hedonism might be a productive tool to start thinking about culinary pleasure in the age of sustainability. Soper highlights the unsustainability of contemporary ideas of pleasures which are synonymous with consumerism and lead to high levels of pollution and CO2 emissions. Soper argues that we must cultivate less-consumerist forms of hedonism (Soper 2018).I will begin by outlining Soper’s philosophy of alternative hedonism and discuss some of the critiques that could be made of it. Then, I will illustrate what alternative hedonism might look like in the culinary world and suggest that while Soper’s framework does not provide us with final answers, the concept of alternative hedonism might be a very fruitful tool to question existing ideas of pleasures and to develop novel ones.The concept of alternative hedonism critiques contemporary, growth-oriented, and consumerist societies and the unsustainable lifestyles they promote. It is in this sense a critique of capitalism but remains distinct from the Marxist critique centered on the unequal distribution of resources. For Soper, the problem with capitalism is not (just) its inequality but its obsession with growth and goods and how it monopolizes the idea of the good life. Happiness equals unsustainable consumption (the fastest car, the biggest steak, travel to opposite ends of the planet, for example). The problem is not the distribution of goods but that they define “the good life.”In this sense, Soper echoes the significant “The Limits to Growth” report from 1972, where a group of researchers emphasized that Earth’s natural resources are limited and cannot support the idea of indefinite growth upon which the financial systems of industrial societies rely (Meadows et al. 1972, 2018). These conclusions have been central to the international sustainability agenda. Building on these conclusions, Soper stresses that not only is contemporary consumerism bad for the planet, but she also argues that it is bad for people who live in this system. Most end up stressed and overworked in the pursuit of new goods that promise happiness. We need to turn this perspective around and develop an alternative narrative of the good life, an alternative hedonism that disconnects happiness from materialism and capitalism. Alternative hedonism “can be seen as a source of new thinking about well-being that could promote (along with other developments) a shift to a more enjoyable, socially just and environmentally sustainable consumption” (Soper 2018: 8). In this sense, alternative hedonism is not a sacrifice but a possibility. Soper’s suggestions for how to practice an alternative hedonism include going slow, going local, and working less.The idea of alternative hedonism is not without problems. First, it seems to rely on a radical transformation of societies, including economic systems, labor markets, and value systems. These transformations are difficult to achieve overnight. Second, it might be a great idea to think about alternative hedonism, but how to practice it within the current system might be trickier. If I start working less, it might have severe consequences for my family, my financial situation, and my children’s future. Also, it could be argued that the focus on hedonism points in some ways to the self and individualizes what demands structural change.Despite these problems, Soper’s philosophy of alternative hedonism is fascinating for several reasons. It goes beyond reducing humans to consumers and underlines the importance of pleasure and wellbeing in our lives. The concept can help us question the ideals of happiness that we cultivate and the consequences these ideals have on our lives, our societies, and our planet. It also encourages us to rethink what a happy life could look like. As with many philosophical ideas, the primary value lies not in a perfect framework for how to live your life but in the questions the philosopher raises and encourages us to ask ourselves.In relation to food, alternative hedonism can help us question the ideas of the good life that distinct gastronomic cultures, institutions, and movements promote. I also think that alternative hedonism is most constructive if we see it as a movement rather than a destination, which would require a radical transformation of the food system and its economic structures. As we wait for this revolution, we can use alternative hedonism as a line of critique and as inspiration to think about how to disrupt and challenge the existing food culture and find small loopholes for creating movements and moments of alternative hedonism.The restaurant industry provides an interesting example. In many countries, restaurants operate in a tough capitalistic system where profits are low, competition high, and work conditions poor. The industry idolizes hardworking and uncompromising male figures who cook to excite the palate of the wealthy global foodie elite. However, it is also an industry where you see people in the younger generations turn against these elitist and unsustainable ideals of hedonism and prestige (Black 2021).To exemplify what alternative hedonism might look like in this context, I will present examples from my culinary field work in the Nordic region.The examples are from the Faroe Islands, a group of North Atlantic islands between Scotland and Iceland. I visited the islands with a group of international students a few years back. During our visit to these windy and rocky islands, we visited an isolated island called Nólsoy. We were guided by a young local woman who had returned after several years of study abroad. She ran the local cafe/tourism office. She took us on a foraging trip, and we made pizzas with nettles we had foraged. This was a simple but delicious lunch. It did not challenge our palate as some of the traditional fermented lamb and whale meat we had tried before. The nettle pizza used the global culinary model of pizza and showed how it could be used to provide a local, plant-based meal.Our guide also invited us to waffles in the afternoon, but we had to work for a couple of hours on the expansion of her potato field. This work would be our payment for the waffles. The goal of our labor was to increase the self-sufficiency of the small island where it is difficult to grow vegetables beyond potatoes. In this situation, we were not just consumers but also became guests who were given responsibility for the place we visited and leave a positive mark on it. Money ceased to be the primary source of exchange. We had to contribute with more than just our cash. Thus, the traditional dichotomy between host (food and service provider) and guest (food and service consumer) was disrupted and a new economic model and mode of exchange was established: a miniature of a degrowth experiment (Leer 2020).This is a small-scale (or even micro-scale) example of alternative food hedonism. I admit it will not generate any significant, systemic change on its own, but such examples can inspire us, consumers and chefs alike, to think about how we might find more sustainable ways of producing and experiencing pleasure in our daily lives with food. It can also make us question which food we value and why and how we categorize different foods and types of experiences based on their economic status (or lack of status). We certainly overlook some fundamental pleasures of food because they lack prestige in the consumer culture. Also, we might start to challenge this capitalist value system via small manipulations as we continue to call for more systemic change.Interestingly, my students from the visit to the small island expressed greater excitement about this humble “work for a waffle” experience than the visit to a Michelin restaurant the following day. This also shows that culinary pleasure can be found where you least expect it—even when you remove bad weeds in a potato field on a rainy day in a remote part of the world and dream about waffles.
Author: Jonatan Leer
Language: English
Topic: Culinary Culture and Tourism
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413021333