ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by theoretically relating consumption, risk, and political participation. It presents the main results and methods of the empirical research project used for discussing the political character of particular consumption practices—namely environmentally related risk handling in food consumption. The chapter discusses whether the different kinds of risk handling in food consumption should be regarded as political consumption, by relating consumers' risk handling to three dimensions of political participation, namely: agency, community, and influence. Consumption is a particular field of practices within everyday life, which combines the satisfaction of needs with expressions of identity. The degree of agency involved in the practices of people shows something about whether and how citizens can be seen as active societal actors. In order to discuss the degree of influence that risk handling consumers might obtain, it is necessary to discuss the different types of influence they can exert in their role as consumers.
