Travelling ethics of consumption in the global South: the case of South African wine in domestic and Kenyan markets

This PhD investigates how the discourse of ethical consumption and responsibility is mobilised and practiced within the context of the global South. Moving away from traditionally prioritised debates in the global North, research will 'follow' a particular commodity - socially-responsible South African wine - to understand how ethical mobilisation initiatives focused on social responsibility and labour codes are used to engage middleclass consumers both domestically (South Africa) and internationally (Kenya). The absence of research addressing the political agency of the Southern consumer is concerning; thus, this research presents an opportunity for the global South to actively engage in debates on ethical consumption and responsibility which, to date, has been largely defined and shaped by those in the global North. This research has three main objectives. Initially, it seeks to understand what representations and values are used by wine producers and intermediaries to mobilise and mediate the ethical consumption of South African wine in South Africa and Kenya. Secondly, it will evaluate how consumers in South Africa and Kenya perceive ethically-labelled wines and, moreover, define and express the notion of ethics within this context. Thirdly, it seeks to understand how ethical consumption can be conceptualised and promoted both from and within the global South. This third element may be of strategic important to intermediaries currently building South-South ethical trade links (e.g. FLSA). Research will be primarily qualitative, using a multisite, multi-method approach to capture and engage with multiple contexts and stakeholders within and between countries.