Consumer attitudes towards sustainability attributes on food labels in the UK and Japan

Abstract

With current concerns about climate change and the general status of the environment, there is an increasing expectation that products have sustainability credentials, and that these can be verified. Labelling is a common method of communicating certain product attributes to consumers that may influence their choices. There are different types of labels with several functions. The aim of this study was to investigate consumers‟, attitudes, knowledge and preferences towards certain sustainability claims on food products across countries; particularly attitudes towards the display of the reduction of carbon emissions were examined in this research. A web-based consumer survey undertaken in the United Kingdom and Japan showed similarities between consumers in the UK and Japan regarding desired label claims of environmental product information. Differences across these countries were observed in terms of the knowledge about certain environmental and social issues such as carbon footprint and sustainability. This information on consumers‟ attitudes will assist industries and firms to identify market opportunities, in particular assessing the methods by which carbon footprinting measures can be incorporated alongside information on other sustainability criteria in product marketing.