Making “good food” more practicable? The reconfiguration of alternative food provisioning in the online world

Food production, distribution and consumption are necessary dimensions of existence and simultane- ously exposed to a number of ecological and social fragilities, especially in the contemporary crisis. The reconfiguration of unsustainable systems of food provisioning is thus a priority, geared towards resilience, ecology and equity. Alternative forms of procurement have been part of this effort and a debate is now emerging on whether digital platforms might promote access to them. Yet, an in-depth interrogation of the ways in which digital food consumption becomes part of everyday routines is largely missing. The objective of our article is to understand if and how digitalisation makes alternative provisioning more “practicable”, allowing consumers to engage in what they consider healthier and more sustainable food practices. In so doing, we also look at platforms’ transformative potentials. Their design and ongoing prac- ticing, in fact, not only capture existing needs, but actively shape the overall meanings, material organi- sation and embodied interactions with everyday food. Our analysis is based on 23 in-depth ethnographic and multimedia interviews with consumers living in Milan, who utilise online alternative forms of food provisioning.