Bio-Cultural Diversity and Good Food Conventions: Comparing Engaged Eaters in Germany, Italy and Norway

This paper examines how highly invested food consumers in in Italy, Germany and Norway navigate the tensions between cultural food traditions and environmental sustainability. Drawing on French conventions theory and focus group discussions, we examine how these consumers justify their food choices in light of biocultural diversity – understood as the interplay between food traditions, ecological concerns, and the use of natural resources. Our analysis reveals three primary justification frameworks, or ‘worlds of worth’: the Domestic World, which is grounded in tradition and trust-based relationships with producers; the Green World, which focuses on ecological responsibility; and the Inspired World, which prioritises creativity and personal fulfilment. While these worlds often coexist in everyday food practices, they also generate conflicts, for example between ethical ideals and convenience, or sustainability and cultural heritage. Italian participants in our study emphasised domestic and convivial food traditions, Germans expressed a strong commitment to creative and waste-conscious eating, and Norwegians balanced ecological awareness with self-sufficiency and national food identity. Our findings demonstrate that food choices are not shaped by fixed national cultures, but by context-dependent justifications reflecting multiple, and sometimes conflicting, values. We conclude by emphasising the importance of acknowledging these tensions in order to better integrate cultural and environmental priorities in sustainable food systems.