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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

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

Published in

Ecological Economics
2024, volume: 2017, article number: 108066

SLU Authors

• Rommel, Jens

  • Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Global goals (SDG)

SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG15 Life on land

UKÄ Subject classification

Economics
Business Administration

Publication identifier

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

Permanent link to this page (URI)

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