Agriculture is not only required to provide sufficient food, but also ethical, social and aesthetic satisfaction. Several social and institutional actors have rediscovered food as patrimony, for local development and for critical analysis in the light of sustainability and responsibility. Some contemporary phenomena are particularly interesting, since they combine aspects of social innovation and environmental responsibility whilst developing new life styles. A direct producer-consumer relationship, for instance, or neo-rural entrepreneurs, characterise a whole range of experiences of co-production (which include far more than just critical "con- sumption") and display a huge potential for cultural, social and economic impact on both urban and rural lifestyles.
Keywords: Food, innovation, critical consumption, sustainability, responsibility