Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling

Sammanfattning

This study assesses how information about the provision of ecosystem services can contribute to an integrative food labelling framework within the European Unions' Farm to Fork Strategy. By applying Q-methodology with 43 food industry experts from four European member states - Germany, Poland, Spain, and Sweden -, we identify common viewpoints among food processors, retailers and labelling organisations. We find a consensus in support of introducing new food labels that would encourage farmers to deliver more ecosystem services, such as increased farm biodiversity. Applying factor analysis and using the qualitative information from the interviews, we derive three distinct prototypes of a future European food label: 1) a producer-driven ecosystem services label, 2) a consumer-oriented information label, and 3) a new EU sustainable food label. These label prototypes are partly country-specific and invoked by multiple stakeholder groups. We conclude that a future European Union food labelling framework must account for all three label prototypes. Policymakers are advised to embrace the diversity of viewpoints of food system actors, as they are the main drivers of the success and failure of labels.

Nyckelord

Ecosystem services; Farm to fork strategy; Food system common agricultural policy; Food labels; Q methodology; Value chain

Publicerad i

Ecological Economics
2024, volym: 2017, artikelnummer: 108066

SLU författare

• Rommel, Jens

  • Institutionen för ekonomi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG2 Ingen hunger
SDG12 Hållbar konsumtion och produktion
SDG15 Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

UKÄ forskningsämne

Nationalekonomi
Företagsekonomi

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.108066

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/127083