Shelter from the storm? Geographies of regard in the worlds of horticultural consumption and production

Economic geographies are social constructs and, even under circumstances of close regulation and monitoring, their sociality is apparent. This paper explores the significance of regard - in the form of a mutual exchange of knowledge and status - as a form of convention in the functioning of economic geographies and the possibilities that it offers for the construction of diverse worlds of production. Contra Offer's arguments around the possibility of modelling an economy of regard, it suggests that the regard of economy is a more appropriate way in which to understand certain features of the world of horticultural production and consumption. Although this is a world closely influenced by capitalist norms and conventions, spaces remain within it for sub-capitalist economic constructions and practices. Evidence is presented from surveys of the horticultural industry, commentaries on production and consumption within it, and interviews undertaken by the author and others. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.