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Research article2015Peer reviewed

Swedish food retailers promoting climate smarter food choices-Trapped between visions and reality?

Tjarnemo, Helene; Sodahl, Liv

Abstract

Food retailers are important actors in the development of a more environmentally sustainable food system. They are powerful in their procurement role and have the potential to promote and encourage consumers to buy climate smarter food. While food retailers have developed environmental visions, policies and goals, a major question is to what extent these commitments translate into action in the products sourced and promoted. This paper aims to explore the ways and extent to which food retailers assist consumers to make climate smarter food choices, more specific to reduce their meat consumption, and to identify potential and perceived difficulties towards doing this. The empirical data is based on interviews with 17 Swedish food retail representatives. The findings indicate that food retailers address climate change in their environmental policy statements and have environmental targets for retail operations, such as energy and transport efficiency and recycling of waste. Moreover, retailers promote and encourage consumers to buy organic, local, and seasonal food and to minimize food waste. No initiatives are taken to help consumers reduce their meat consumption. Yet, there is a growing consensus among scientists that meat production is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Food retailers seem reluctant to guide consumers to climate smarter food choices if it means reducing the meat range or the promotion of meat. To broaden the range of high quality and more expensive meat is seen as a more feasible option. The meat category is perceived as important to attract new and keep loyal customers. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Swedish food retailing; Environmental issues; Climate smarter food choices; Sustainable food consumption; Meat category; Promotion

Published in

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
2015, volume: 24, pages: 130-139
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD

SLU Authors

Global goals (SDG)

SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
SDG13 Climate action

UKÄ Subject classification

Economics

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.12.007

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/95194