[Un]common Language: The Corporate Appropriation of Alternative Agro-Food Frames

Discourses and arguments regarding our increasingly globalized food system include complicated issues such as sustainability, ethical trade, localized sourcing, and food justice. However, recent research has largely glossed over how broader discursive structures can simultaneously facilitate and hinder social movement action in this area. The purpose of this study is to explore broader trends in public discourse and corporate public relations in the alternative agro-food movement (AAF). We conducted a qualitative discourse analysis to identify how powerful corporate agribusinesses use salient AAF frames in organizational literature. Our findings indicate that corporations are selectively using AAF frames to garner public support and increase their consumer bases. We conclude by providing a foundation for future research and exploration of barriers and supports for AAF efforts, and making recommendations for social movement research and framing theory