How do consumers interact with environmental sustainability claims on food?

This paper presents new evidence on how consumers interact with sustainability claims on food products, based on a survey of 37 000 consumers in 40 countries. Respondents are generally most interested in natural, locally produced, eco-friendly and organic claims. Trust and broader attitudes and beliefs regarding the environment play an important role in shaping consumers’ willingness to pay more for products with a sustainability claim. For most claims, willingness to pay is also higher among consumers with higher incomes and education. Even after controlling for these factors, there are significant differences among countries. In some countries, people are generally distrustful of claims, while in others people have greater trust. This suggests that consumer trust may be shaped less by the specifics of a claim and more by country-specific factors. This interpretation is consistent with data suggesting that consumers have only a limited understanding of what different claims mean.