A Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Digital Technologies on Sustainable Food Production and Consumption in the European Union

In today's landscape, digital technologies hold immense potential in tackling challenges associated with food sustainability. This study aims to contextualize a broader investigation of food sustainability and digitalization within the agricultural sector. Its objective is to explore the influence of digital technologies on sustainable food production and consumption, particularly examining relationships among digital technologies, municipal waste, agricultural output, nitrogen emissions, methane emissions from agriculture, and Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12). Through the use of Structural Equation Modeling, the empirical investigation scrutinizes the relationships between digital technology use and critical variables linked to food sustainability in a longitudinal analysis. The results highlight the significant impact of extensive digital technology use on municipal waste, sustainable production, and consumption, indirectly influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Empirical research findings reveal a negative influence of digital technologies on responsible consumption and production (path coefficient -0.349, p values < 0.001), suggesting an impact of digital technologies on diminishing sustainability in consumption and production. The relationship between digital technologies and municipal solid waste is also negative (path coefficient -0.360, p values < 0.001), suggesting that the use of digital technologies can contribute to reducing the amount of municipal solid waste. Digitalization has the potential to improve the sustainability of supply chains by reducing resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with production and distribution operations.

Diet-Attributable Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Acute Myocardial Infarction in Costa Rica Heart Study

Adopting sustainable dietary patterns is essential for planetary and human health. As data to address this issue are lacking in Latino populations, this study examined the association between diet-attributable greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) and myocardial infarction (MI) in a Costa Rica Heart Study. This analysis included 1817 cases of a first non-fatal acute MI during hospitalization and their matched population-based controls, by age, sex, and area of residence. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify habitual dietary intake and diet-attributable GHGEs (kg CO2 equivalent (eq.)/year). Due to the matching design, conditional logistic regression was used. Red meat consumption contributed approximately 50% to the total diet-attributable GHGEs among both cases and controls. Higher diet-attributable GHGEs were associated with increased odds of acute MI. The odds of MI were 63% higher (OR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.20-2.21) among participants in the highest quintile (median diet-attributable GHGEs = 6247 kg CO2 eq./year) compared to the lowest quintile (median diet-attributable GHGEs = 2065 kg CO2 eq./year). An increasing linear trend in the odds of acute MI and diet-attributable GHGEs was detected (p-trend 0.0012). These findings highlight the importance of reducing red meat consumption to sustainably mitigate the incidence of MI and improve planetary health.

Nudging Toward Sustainable Food Consumption at University Canteens: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

This systematic literature review and meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of the nudging approach toward sustainable food consumption in the university canteen context.

METHODS

The systematic literature search was carried out in 5 databases, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and the Royal Library, identifying 14 eligible studies and selecting 9 articles containing adequate information for meta-analysis. The nudging strategies were classified using the typology of interventions in the proximal physical microenvironments framework that resulted in 5 different intervention types: availability, position, size, presentation, and information that belonged to either intervention class-altering properties or placement.

RESULTS

The study identified presentation, availability, and information as the most promising nudge intervention for achieving sustainable food consumption at the university canteen or similar settings. Nudging by altering the properties had a small effect size (d = 0.16), and nudging by altering placement showed a medium effect size (d = 0.21).

DISCUSSION

Nudging interventions implemented after understanding consumers' current behavior showed positive effectiveness toward sustainable food consumption rather than implementing random nudges.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

It is important that future studies aim to achieve sustainable food consumption by understanding canteen user food preferences and food choice motives before designing a nudging strategy.

The positive impact of mindfulness interventions on the explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods

Objectives

The main goal of our intervention study was to investigate whether two conceptually different mindfulness interventions positively impacted the explicit and implicit affective evaluations of vegetarian foods. We included possible mediating variables (e.g., wellbeing) and related our results to the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC).

Methods

We implemented a compassion and caring-based mental training (N = 31) and an adapted MBSR course (N = 34) as mindfulness interventions, and a stress-reduction course (N = 26) as the active control group. The curriculums consisted of 12 weekly group sessions á 75 min. All participants were tested pre- and post-intervention and 3 months after the last intervention session, answered questionnaires (mindfulness, compassion, wellbeing, items of the SSBC) and completed an explicit affective evaluation task and an affective priming task.

Results

There was an improvement in the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods regardless of the intervention group. In the SSBC, we found a link between the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods and the indicated stage in the model. Multiple regression analysis revealed social and personal norms and a vegetarian/vegan diet as the only significant predictors for goal intention in the SSBC.

Conclusion

The results of our study suggest that both conceptually different mindfulness interventions, as well as a stress-reduction program, have a positive impact on explicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods. We highlight the meaning of inner dimensions and transformation for change processes for a more sustainable diet and the role of social and personal norms.

Consumer segmentation based on three dimensions of sustainable food consumption: a simultaneous analysis of meat, organic food, and sweet snack purchases based on household panel data in Germany

The literature on sustainable food consumption laments two major gaps: First, the majority of previous studies analyzed consumer behavior based on survey data on consumers' self-reported behaviors and attitudes. Second, most existing studies focused on one dimension of sustainable food choices. This paper identifies and analyzes consumer segments based on the actual purchases of 8,400 households recorded in the GfK household panel data from Germany. We used three indicators of sustainable food consumption behavior: (1) the purchase of organic products as a proxy for the environmental impact of diets, (2) the purchase of meat as a proxy for the climate impact of diets, and (3) the purchase of sweet snacks as a proxy for the healthiness of a diet. The analysis yielded two larger segments with high expenditure shares for one type of unsustainable food (meat/sweet snacks, respectively), two small segments with above average (medium/high) expenditure shares for organic food, and a large 'mainstream' segment. The five consumer segments were further analyzed regarding the observed attitude-behavior gap, and the actual prices paid in different product categories. Clear gaps between stated and actual behavior were revealed with interesting differences between the five segments and the three sustainability characteristics. The analysis is a vital starting point for designing a holistic policy instrument mix to close the gaps and to reach a sustainable transformation of the food system.

Comparison of the Purchasing Behaviour of Polish and United Kingdom Consumers in the Organic Food Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The main objective of the study was to compare young consumer purchasing behaviour towards organic food in Poland (PL) and the United Kingdom (UK), countries with different levels of organic market maturity. The study was conducted by means of an online survey questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic between December 2020 and February 2021. The sample consisted of 862 PL and 161 UK consumers. 31% of PL respondents and 58.4% of UK respondents indicated they purchase organic products. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test and the two proportion Z test were used for statistical analyses. The results indicate that young consumers pay particular attention to the freshness and quality of consumed products. Concern for their own health and that of their loved ones, as well as the desire to eat better-quality products were the main motivations for the respondents to purchase organic products. Organic vegetables and fruits, eggs, dairy products, and meat and meat products, were among the most frequently purchased products in the studied cohorts. Experts (e.g., a dietitian, physician) were declared to be the first source of information concerning food products for young consumers. Next, family members were indicated. Social media content (PL respondents) and information from websites managed by institutions (UK respondents) were mentioned as the third source. UK consumers preferred short supply chains. The present study can be used by government bodies and companies to select the most effective communication channels for education and advertising and to develop effective commercial strategies aimed at young consumers.

What Influences the Sustainable Food Consumption Behaviours of University Students? A Systematic Review

Objectives: Global environmental challenges demand sustainable behaviours and policies to protect human and planetary health. We aimed to summarize the evidence about the factors related to Sustainable Food Consumption (SFC) behaviours of university students, and to propose an operational categorization of SFC behaviours.

Methods: Seven databases were searched for observational studies evaluating Sustainable Food Consumption (SFC) among university students and that reported at least one behavioural outcome measure. Qualitative synthesis was conducted, and PRISMA guidelines for reporting were followed.

Results: Out of 4,479 unique references identified, 40 studies were selected. All studies examined personal factors, while 11 out of 40 also measured social or situational factors. Except for food waste, females had higher levels of SFC behaviours, but situational factors moderated this association. Knowledge and attitudes showed mixed results. Overall, sustainable food consumers reported healthier lifestyles.

Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle of sustainable food consumers suggests possible synergies between human health and sustainability in terms of motivations for food choice. Moderation effects of social and situational factors on personal factors reveal opportunities to design and examine the effects of choice architecture interventions.

Food Dishes for Sustainable Development: A Swedish Food Retail Perspective

Current dietary patterns contribute negatively to greenhouse gas emissions and to the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Earlier research on sustainable food consumption mainly focuses on diets, rather than single meals. Diets are difficult to measure, which is usually executed through self-reporting. This paper aims to identify frequently prepared dishes in a home setting through sales statistics, and how they can be altered to reduce climate impact and increase nutritional value. Commonly prepared food dishes in a home setting among customers of a major food retailer in Sweden were identified through sales statistics. The dishes were altered to reach nutritional and climate impact guidelines. Commonly prepared food dishes exceeded goals for climate boundaries by more than threefold and were not in line with nutritional guidelines. The content of fat, including saturated fat, was too high. Vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and fiber need to be increased. To reduce climate impact and increase nutritional value, the amount of animal-based product need to be reduced and/or exchanged to plant-based alternatives. This research contributes empirically to understandings of how portfolio management decisions influence food consumption based on sales statistics and how nutritional and climate impact guidelines can be applied from a single meal perspective.

Parental Food Choices and Engagement in Raising Children's Awareness of Sustainable Behaviors in Urban Poland

Promoting sustainable food consumption patterns and understanding factors driving environmentally-friendly food choices is one of the challenges of public health nutrition policies in the 2020s and crucial for the future wellbeing of humans, food systems and the planet as a whole. To assess the impact of sustainability issues on the behaviors of parents living with young school-aged children in Poland a CAWI survey of 1035 adults in urban areas was conducted. A clustering procedure revealed that two of the identified clusters (73% of the sample) rated sustainability factors as important when purchasing food for children but only one of these clusters (29% of the sample) was actively engaged in raising their child’s awareness about sustainable behaviors. The third cluster (27% of the sample) had no intentions to teach their children about food sustainability because of lack of time or distrust in these topics. More than 80% of the sample agreed that parents share a responsibility in teaching children about the links between food, health and environment. Principles of healthy and sustainable diets should be incorporated into public health programmes to empower family members to engage in raising their children’s awareness and adopt more healthy and environmentally-friendly food consumption practices.