| Nowadays, China has stepped into the so-called “risk society” that Beck defined, the most significant feature of which is the growing severity of food safety threats. Food safety risks originated from the “disembedding” food market, and were enhanced by three “quasi-subjects” involved in the food market, namely food corporations, peasants and consumers, through their behaviors under the title of “organized irresponsibility”. Consumers’ differential food consumption and the consumption psychology of pursuing cheap and fine products promoted peasants’ and food corporations’ behaviors of “organized irresponsibility”. Thus, the “boomerang effects” of food safety broke out. Based on the concept of “one family, two systems”, the paper first raises four alternative channels of consumers’ food consumption. Then, the paper theoretically analyzes the irresponsibility of Chinese food consumers, followed by an empirical analysis using field research data in Beijing and Gansu. Finally, the paper suggests cultivating “responsible consumers” to help stepping out of “risk society” in the field of food safety. Through “farmer-consumer docking”, consumer unity, consumption idea guidance and legislation on consumer responsibilities, the new “social co-protection” of food safety can be achieved. |
