ABSTRACT
This final chapter revisits the original questions set forth in the Introduction, namely how might we interpret the potential of societal developments unfolding at the macro-, meso-, and micro-scales to foster a transition beyond consumer society. The first is that social and cultural shifts to transcend consumer society are unlikely to occur without deeper changes in the macroeconomy including the financial system, dominant institutions and the state, and political priorities. Emily Huddart Kennedy focuses on the Canadian local food movement and further underscores this point by highlighting the rift between a largely apolitical rank and file and a movement leadership which acknowledges that political changes in the global food system are unavoidable. An interesting signal to monitor as we chart our way forward is the extent to which economic growth is able to continue to serve as a proxy for political success.
