El mercado español del bacalao en salazón: Una aproximación regional desde la geografía de las convenciones

Abstract

This article analyzes recent changes in the criteria used by producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers to define and assess the quality of salted cod in a sample of Spanish regions. In accordance with the conceptual framework of the theory of conventions, six types of criteria are taken into account: industrial, market, domestic, public, civic, and ecological. Statistical data supplied by food authorities and semistructured interviews with actors in the value chain provide empirical evidence enabling us to state that domestic conventions, related to geographical origin and traditional salted cod recipes, are increasingly challenged by industrial and market conventions as the main arguments for assessing quality. Nevertheless, regional diversity is still apparent in specific market niches like restaurants and specialized retailing, where values of tradition, proximity and reputation remain influential.