Annotated Bibliography For Food: Sustainability And Consumer Perspectives

Grunert,Klaus G., Sophie Hieke, and Josephine Wills. “Sustainability Labels on Food Products: Consumer Motivation, Understanding and use.”Food Policy 44 (2014).

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This article presents an investigation on the relationship between customer motivation, perception and utilization of sustainable labels in food items. The objective of the study was to analyze the role of sustainability in food articles and beverages. Data collected via online surveying. Results showed low levels of uses due to lack of adequate knowledge and conception. It was found that the degree of motivation and interpretation depends largely on lifestyle patterns and values. Concerns regarding sustainability issues were prevailing among women and elderly people but had lower levels of use. Hence, it was concluded that at present sustainability is not having a major significance in food choices and the use of sustainable food labels in future largely depends on the consumers behaviour towards the issue.

The paper analyses the perception of the consumers regarding food choices and their effect on the environment.  In addition, the study also investigates on the people’s attitude towards sustainability in food products. The increasing demands of food products are highly affecting the environmental sustainability. The study deals with the consumer’s realization as to how their individual choices on food are influencing environmental issues. The study was done by quantitative method through interview of the Italian customers. The results showed higher degrees of concerns regarding the influence of food choices in environmental context. The results indicated that the attitudes of the customers did not seem to be dependent on age, sex and other demographic factors, rather the consumer’s behaviour were found to be related with the personal preferences.

The paper investigates the affordability of the healthy and sustainable food by the consumers. It involved application of the sustainability principles among various systems of food, sociological and economical community and household earnings in Australia and Western Sydney. The study was made for analyzing the affordability of sustainable food products using a typical food basket and a health and sustainable food basket. The results indicated that the price of the health and sustainable food product was comparatively higher than the other product. The families with lower income levels needed to invest 48 % of their earnings in purchasing the sustainable food products and the higher earning group required to spend about 9 % of their income. Hence, there is inequity in affording the sustainable products among different earning groups.

 The paper makes a comparative study on consumer preference in different kinds of label claims associated with organic meat, carbon footprint, free range and animal welfare. The claims provide the rights to the consumers to make decisions for purchasing food items taking into account the various environmental considerations. The experimentation was done using chicken breast as the food product. The result showed that out of ten Belgian consumers nine preferred free-range claims. The chosen claims are also of higher value in context of sustainability. Animal welfare label claims were preferred by 87% of the consumers. The carbon foot print label claims were found to be in fewer preferences. Hence, it was inferred that the Belgian customers have higher preferences for Nation Belgian food logo certifications.

Banterle, Alessandro, and Elena Claire Ricci. “Does the Sustainability of Food Products Influence Consumer Choices? The Case of Italy.” Proceedings in Food System Dynamics (2013).

The study is based on the assessment of vulnerability in Mediterranean region regarding the food insecurity and sustainability. The increasing crisis of food and changes in climatic conditions besides the loss of habitat and nutritional deficiencies are major cause of agony worldwide. The study provides a basis for establishing the relationship between security of food and nutrition and sustainability issues. It proposed a quantitative methodology for analyzing the outcomes of food and nutrition sustainability by correlating three major elements of adaptive capabilities, exposure and sensitivity in terms of vulnerability.  The approach further helps in supplementing elementary concepts for developing potential measures of sustainable food systems. The primary objective behind the approach was to insure security of food and nutrition to lead a healthy and active life.

The paper deals with the food security and sustainability systems and emphasizes on connecting them together. The agricultural system needs to focus on more production to feed the increasing population.  The study is based on analysis of the patterns of consumption, major challenges, consumer’s transformation in food preference aspects, concept of sustainability in food and nutrition and global improvement in food security and sustainability. It concluded that the major driving factors for increased food demands are increase in population growth, the challenges to food insecurity and availability requires appropriate strategic approach. Moreover, it states that setting up a sustainable system would lead to proper utilization of the natural resources, eliminate food insecurities, and establish proper access to food that is culturally accepted and beneficial to the man and nature.

This study inspects the various determining factors for sustainable food. It suggests a descriptive method for analyzing the determinants and presents a framework for it. It categorizes the determinants into five parts agriculture, health, social culture, environmental and socio economical context. It states that change in one determinant affects the other corresponding factors and subsequently influences the sustainability of diets. It also focuses on the impacts of various factors on health, food security and sustainability of the environment. An approach to encouraging the sustainable diets is required. The leaders and experts from the various sectors like public policy makers, psychology experts, private sectors, economics experts, physiologists, nutritionists, environment specialists, anthropologists and health professionals should come together and address the various issues and challenges associated with sustainable food habits.

The paper illustrates a few policies required at governance of national, European and international levels. It provides a glance at the policies emerging in the context of the development of food sustainability. The responses to emerging policies, especially their mapping and analysis have not been paid much attention. The study explores these neglected areas. It focuses on the policies of meat, dairy, other dietary products and waste materials. It states that the present challenges be recognized and mitigated by eliminating traditional thinking and considering the sustainable ways that have a better future prospect. The sustainability systems play important role in policy framing and their accurate analysis and implications. Moreover, it is recommended that the present policies need to be revised and made in accordance with the sustainable backdrop.

Barosh, Laurel, Sharon Friel, Katrin Engelhardt, and Lilian Chan. “The Cost of a Healthy and Sustainable Diet–who can Afford it?.” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 38, no. 1 (2014).

The objective of the study is to investigate the relationships among health, lifestyle patters, sustainability issues, healthy choices of food products, reliability, loyalty and various demographic factors. The study used structural models for the analysis. The methods of partial least squares and graph software were used for the analysis of the models and measurements. In the test for factual data, both types of constructs, formative as well as reflective were applied. The study revealed that the senior market division is different from the non-senior market section. It differs in the way that the intensity of the impact of Lifestyles of Health and sustainability is comparatively higher in case of senior consumers than that of the non-senior ones. The trust factor and loyalty is also higher among senior diners.

The paper emphasizes on future prospects and its contribution towards minimizing the green house effects by adopting healthy and sustainable diet. The study was done by creating a database to link between the nutrient composition and Green House Gas Emission data in various groups. Food and other dietary requirements were met by use of linear programming in an age group of 19 to 50 years. Acceptability controls were set for the model for including the foods commonly consumed by the customers in United Kingdom. The results indicated that there was a reduction of about 90% without the addition of the constraints. It showed a reduction of about 36%. Hence, it was concluded that a sustainable and healthy diet could be achieved without the inclusion of meat and at affordable prices.

Banterle, Alessandro, and Elena Claire Ricci. “Does the sustainability of food products influence consumer choices? The case of Italy.” Proceedings in Food System Dynamics (2013).

Barosh, Laurel, Sharon Friel, Katrin Engelhardt, and Lilian Chan. “The cost of a healthy and sustainable diet–who can afford it?.” Australian and New Zealand journal of public health 38, no. 1 (2014).

Capone, Roberto, Hamid El Bilali, Philipp Debs, Gianluigi Cardone, and Noureddin Driouech. “Food system sustainability and food security: connecting the dots.” Journal of Food Security 2, no. 1 (2014).

Grunert, Klaus G., Sophie Hieke, and Josephine Wills. “Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use.” Food Policy 44 (2014).

Johnston, Jessica L., Jessica C. Fanzo, and Bruce Cogill. “Understanding sustainable diets: a descriptive analysis of the determinants and processes that influence diets and their impact on health, food security, and environmental sustainability.” Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal 5, no. 4 (2014).

Kim, Myung-Ja, Choong-Ki Lee, Woo Gon Kim, and Joung-Man Kim. “Relationships between lifestyle of health and sustainability and healthy food choices for seniors.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 25, no. 4 (2013).

Lang, Tim, and David Barling. “Nutrition and sustainability: an emerging food policy discourse.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 72, no. 01 (2013).

Macdiarmid, Jennie I., Janet Kyle, Graham W. Horgan, Jennifer Loe, Claire Fyfe, Alexandra Johnstone, and Geraldine McNeill. “Sustainable diets for the future: can we contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eating a healthy diet?.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 96, no. 3 (2012).

Prosperi, Paolo, Thomas Allen, Martine Padilla, Iuri Peri, and Bruce Cogill. “Sustainability and Food & Nutrition Security.” Sage Open 4, no. 2 (2014).

Van Loo, Ellen J., Vincenzina Caputo, Rodolfo M. Nayga, and Wim Verbeke. “Consumers’ valuation of sustainability labels on meat.” Food Policy 49 (2014).