The analysis, primarily based on a survey of practically 10,000 shoppers from 18 European international locations, discovered that 67% mentioned they might use such a label, whereas simply 13% felt they might be unlikely to take action.
Whereas there are at present no internationally agreed requirements for environmental sustainability labelling and no settlement on what sustainable manufacturing ought to measure, authorities are discussing the event of a standard eco-label that might inform shoppers concerning the affect that meals merchandise have on the local weather and society.
The analysis discovered that just about two-thirds of Europeans – 63% – imagine meals manufacturers fake their merchandise are extra sustainable than they are surely, whereas solely a 3rd of Europeans, 33%, imagine their authorities is clear about regulating sustainability labels on meals.
“In a world the place there are over 450 sustainability logos in operation, many firms use inexperienced claims and eco-labels to assist market their merchandise,” Klaus Grunert, Professor at Denmark’s Aarhus College, and Director of the EIT Meals Shopper Observatory, mentioned: “However at present, there isn’t a common normal for these labels, leaving many shoppers confused by all of the completely different symbols and logos available on the market.”
“It’s clear from our analysis that customers wish to be higher knowledgeable concerning the environmental footprint of their meals and that there’s widespread help for a common, unbiased and factually substantiated label for sustainable meals merchandise. Introducing such a label – and making certain that every one eco-labels embody clear and concise info – might be the easiest way to empower shoppers to make knowledgeable decisions about how what they eat impacts the planet.”
Among the many 18 international locations surveyed, Italy, Spain and Poland had been these with the best ranges of help for such a label, with 81%, 79% and 78% of shoppers respectively saying they might use it, whereas Czech shoppers are the least supportive (45%). In Turkey, 40% of shoppers mentioned they might be “very possible” to make use of it.
The recyclability of the packaging, animal welfare, and air pollution and the usage of chemical compounds and fertilisers had been the areas that customers most needed to see lined by an eco-label, with 90%, 89% and 88% of shoppers saying they want to see these respective components.
The analysis additionally discovered that:
• Shoppers within the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Romania are significantly distrustful of their governments, with simply 21%, 24% and 27% respectively saying they imagine they’re clear about regulating ecolabels on meals.
• Girls are extra sceptical of presidency than males: simply 31% felt they had been clear when regulating eco-labels in comparison with 36% of male respondents.
• The Netherlands, Germany and Eire are the international locations the place folks have the least belief in meals manufacturers’ inexperienced claims, with 73%, 69% and 69% of shoppers respectively saying they imagine they fake their merchandise are extra sustainable than they’re.
Quite a lot of proposals
The European Fee has in current months thought of a wide range of proposals to stamp out deceptive environmental claims, together with a technique to pressure firms to validate their claims by a “Product Environmental Footprint” – a strategy for calculating the environmental affect of a product over its lifetime – and a ban on the introduction of recent public labelling schemes until developed on the EU degree, and personal schemes which don’t present larger environmental ambition than these at present available on the market.
The analysis has been launched to mark the launch of the brand new Shopper Observatory. A part of EIT Meals, the Shopper Observatory goals to deliver collectively the breadth of client insights and information from the world’s largest meals innovation neighborhood.
Commenting on the launch, Sofia Kuhn, Director of Public Engagement at EIT Meals, mentioned: “We’re at a vital juncture: the meals system have to be remodeled if we’re to reach making certain it will probably ship wholesome, sustainable meals for all. Within the Shopper Observatory, an important discussion board now exists to assist realise this goal inside Europe, placing client insights on the forefront. The information the Shopper Observatory gathers into client behaviours will likely be accessible to meals methods actors to assist attain the shared aim of driving ahead a more healthy and extra sustainable meals system.”
Oatly requires carbon labels on all foods and drinks offered in UK
It follows related analysis carried out by Swedish oat drink firm Oatly within the UK. Its survey of two,000 British adults revealed 62% are in favour of a coverage to introduce carbon labelling on foods and drinks merchandise, and 55% assume firms needs to be obliged to publish that info. Some 59% would scale back or cease solely consumption of excessive carbon-footprint foods and drinks merchandise, if supplied with correct emissions knowledge. Younger folks (18-34) are significantly engaged: they’re considerably extra than different age teams in understanding the carbon footprint of their foods and drinks; extra in settlement concerning the want for carbon labelling; and extra prone to change their consumption habits.
Bryan Carroll, UK Basic Supervisor, Oatly, mentioned: “The foods and drinks we eat is liable for a 3rd of whole UK emissions. Scientists, together with the UK Authorities’s personal Local weather Change Committee, are clear that these emissions should urgently come down and that client behaviour change is a obligatory a part of that. Our view is that it’s unreasonable to anticipate this to occur when shoppers should not being given the data they should make knowledgeable decisions. Given the urgency of our local weather problem, we imagine it needs to be as simple for consumers to seek out the local weather affect of what they’re shopping for, as it’s to seek out its price ticket.”
