Measuring quality conventions in the food industry: Applications to the wine sector in Spain

The “quality turn” that the agri-food system has recently taken considers quality to be a complex notion that is defined both by the physical characteristics of the product and by changing socio-cultural factors. Convention theory provides a framework for assessing quality by means of various criteria, which correspond to different convention categories. Research that is based on this theory employs qualitative methods and case studies. In this article, a quantitative research methodology that addresses the conventions of the agri-food industry was carried out. Specifically, 19 mathematical indicators were constructed from statistical sources to identify and measure existing quality conventions in the wine subsector. These indicators have been tested in a study of 16 Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) inland Spain, with the following results: first, existing convention categories for each PDO were identified - industrial, commercial, domestic, public and civic - and a distinctive quality profile was developed for each one. Second, a ranking of PDOs was established according to their orientation to each convention type. The viability and utility of the quantitative methods in this quality convention study was demonstrated, thereby opening a research path that is complementary to qualitative methods.