ABSTRACT
The French school of Convention Theory has influenced various branches of agri-food studies in the past two decades, as part of a wider trend in the Anglophone social sciences. It provided analytical and theoretical insight for examining alternative food networks, the ‘quality turn’ and various forms of coordination and governance in agri-food value chains. This chapter examines how Convention Theory was introduced in Anglophone agri-food studies, and what results and patterns of diffusion have ensued. It discusses similarities and divergences that characterise the Anglophone literature in comparison to the French school, and highlights the new issues and approaches introduced. It also reflects upon the extension of Convention Theory towards the related ‘regimes of engagement’ approach, which evolved from French pragmatic sociology. Finally, three further analytical, methodological and empirical developments are highlighted that are needed to carry this research agenda forward.
