The world is facing a global climate crisis and a collective step towards a more sustainable lifestyle is of importance. Food consumption accounts for a large part of an individuals’ total emissions and as the production of meat generally emits less green-house-gases than that of plant-based alternatives, changing towards a more plant-based diet can be one step to a more sustainable lifestyle. This study outlines a field experiment at a university cafeteria where the menu order was altered by random assignment. It is tested if placing the vegetarian option at the top of the menu has a causal effect on the share of vegetarian option sold that day, i.e. if it is possible to nudge customers to choose a more sustainable option. Using ordinary least squares and a beta regression models, the results do not show a positive treatment effect on the share of vegetarian option sold but do find a significantly average negative effect of 5.5 percentage points on the share of meat option sold. This effect it translated to an average negative effect of 6 percent on the daily emissions due to food sales at the cafeteria.

Modern food systems are characterized by unsustainable models of mono-production and industrialization. These dominant practices lead to social and environmental negative externalities such as poor health outcomes, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. A more holistic approach to food systems is required that acknowledges the social-ecological complexities of food systems and ultimately (re)connects humans to the biosphere.  Eco-gastronomy is put forward as a possible approach to achieving more sustainability in the food system. This study uses social-ecological systems thinking, resilience theory, social innovation literature and transition theory to understand the transformative potential of eco-gastronomic food processing initiatives for more sustainable food systems. It is set greater Cape Town area, where thirteen semi-structured interviews with eco-gastronomic niche food professionals were conducted and analyzed, applying a case study approach to describe the identity and transformative potential across the different cases through an innovations boundary framework, as well as multilevel interactions and scaling strategies.  This paper shows how niche eco-gastronomic initiatives in the Greater Cape Town area have successfully created new interactions between humans and the environment. They are highly interconnected among each other, as network building is a key business strategy given the low institutional support for these small-scale businesses. Exchange with the regime of large-scale producers remains limited. Instead, niche actors mainly focus on scaling out and scaling deep to achieve transformation, fostering the further development of the eco-gastronomic sector as well as engaging in a conversation that should alter producers’ and consumers’ production perceptions and beliefs.  Since the initiatives are still in a start-up phase, further research should better our understanding of the resilience of alternative food systems and niche-regime dynamics. They nevertheless provide seeds for social-ecological transformation in the Capetonian food system, showing that care for the social-ecological environment of food can result in more tasty and equitable meals.

Background: The current unsustainable situation of the seafood industry requires innovative solutions and there is an opportunity for companies to provide consumers with plant-based options which would enable them to eat seafood without harming the oceans. However, there are still several barriers keeping consumers from choosing plant-based products, such as limited knowledge, social norms, and cultural settings. Previous studies regarding how a cultural context and storytelling might be used to influence people towards more plant-based eating, especially relating to plant-based seafood are limited. Therefore, it is interesting to examine how companies offering plant-based foods can use culture and certain narratives held by consumers in their branding to integrate them into the Swedish culture and influence consumers towards a more sustainable consumption.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate what narratives influence consumers, and how companies offering plant-based food can use these narratives to drive a change towards more sustainable consumption among people in Sweden.   Method: Using a semi-structured approach, two focus groups were conducted and two different companies offering plant-based food were interviewed. Furthermore, this qualitative research uses an inductive approach, and the gathered data was later analyzed under a thematic analysis which was the foundation for the conceptual framework.   Conclusion: The myths and narrative towards plant-based substitutes are a noteworthy barrier to adoption, and cultural branding seems to be a favorable strategy for brands offering plant-based food. The findings suggest that culture and childhood experiences have a substantial influence on consumer demand for different types of foods, and that a change in dietary patterns requires a change in the surrounding cultural norms. Brands offering plant-based products need to understand the cultural norms of their target customers and leverage cultural contradictions to offer products that align with personal values.

InledningSvenskarna överkonsumerar jordens resurser i snabb takt. Konsumtionen måste bli mer hållbar om framtida generationer ska ha möjlighet till en bra framtid. Livsmedel har stor påverkan på miljön därför är livsmedelskonsumtionen en viktig del i arbetet med hållbar konsumtion. Här har livsmedelskedjor tillsammans med deras kunder potential att bidra till hållbar konsumtion. Om kunden ska ha möjlighet att agera hållbart måste förutsättningar erbjudas på en marknad. Här saknas studier kring kundens förutsättningar för hållbara val på olika konsumentmarknader.SyfteSyftet med studien är att redogöra för kundens förutsättningar för att göra hållbara val i livsme-delsbutiker.MetodStudien bygger på en kvalitativ metod för insamling av data. I studien har en undersökning genomförts i samtliga livsmedelsbutiker i Falun för att samla in data om kundens förutsättningar för att välja hållbart. De faktorer som undersökts är kommunikation, sortiment och pris i utvalda produktkategorier. Empirin har sorterats och kategoriserats och sedan diskuterats i relation till teorin.SlutsatsDen slutsats vi kommit fram till genom vår undersökning visar att det finns möjligheter för kunden att göra hållbara val i livsmedelsbutiker. Eftersom jordens resurser inte räcker till på det sätt människor lever och konsumerar i dag, är en viktig fråga att kommunicera värdet i att välja hållbara produkter i så stor utsträckning som möjligt och det här är ett hållbarhetsarbete som måste ske kollektivt. / Introduction The Swedes overuse the resources of the world in a rapid pace. Consumption must be more sustainable if future generations are to have a good future. Victuals have a major impact on the environment, therefore food consumption is an important part of the work on sustainable con-sumption. Here, food chains together with customers have the potential to contribute to sustain-able consumption. If the customer is to be able to act sustainably, the conditions must be offered in a market. There are no studies about the customer's prerequisites for sustainable choices in different consumer markets.Purpose The purpose of the study is to account for the customer's ability to make sustainable choices in grocery stores.Method The study is based on a qualitative method for data collection. In this study, an investigation has been conducted in all food stores in Falun to collect data about the customer's conditions for making sustainable choices. The factors investigated are communication, product range and price in selected product categories. The empiric has been sorted and categorized and then dis-cussed in relation to the theory.Conclusion The conclusion we reached through our study shows that there are opportunities for the cus-tomer to make sustainable choices in grocery stores. Since the world's resources are insufficient in the way people live and consume today, an important issue is to communicate the value of choosing sustainable products as widely as possible and this is a sustainability work that must be done collectively.

Det globala matsystemet står inför enorma miljö- och hälsoutmaningar för attnå hållbar utveckling. Forskning på området visar att för att matsystemet skakunna rymmas inom de planetära gränserna krävs förändringar inom såvälproduktion, minskat matsvinn och kostvanor (Willet et al. 2019). Enligt Rööset al. (2020) finns det inte något som tyder på att detta kommer att ske spontantutan det behövs politiskt beslutade styrmedel (Röös et al. 2020).Forskningsplattformen SLU Future Food presenterade i augusti 2020 rapportenStyrmedel för hållbar matkonsumtion – en kunskapsöversikt och vägar framåt.Den kartlägger kunskapsläget inom hållbar matkonsumtion och beskriver 17möjliga statliga styrmedel inom området. De 17 styrmedlen är uppdelade i trekategorier utifrån vilka mekanismer staten kan använda sig av. Rapportenbeskriver att arbetet i offentlig sektor behöver intensifieras, att det behövsnationella mål för en hållbar matkonsumtion samt att det bör utvecklas ochinföras effektiva och attraktiva styrmedelspaket (Röös et al. 2020).Syftet med denna studie är att fastställa hur Sveriges åtta riksdagspartierförhåller sig till de fakta och behov av framtida åtgärder som SLU:s rapportvisar. Dels undersöker jag om partierna vill verka för införandet av mål för enhållbar matkonsumtion i linje med redan beslutade klimat- och miljömål, delshur partierna förhåller sig till införandet av de 17 styrmedel som föreslås avSLU Future Food. För detta ändamål har en kvalitativ och kvantitativ enkätanvänts. Underlaget till enkätdesignen är rapporten från SLU Future Food.Respondenterna för respektive parti är ledamöter inom Miljö- ochjordbruksutskottet då de arbetar med miljö- och klimatpolitik i Sverige ochförbereder Riksdagens beslut i miljömålsarbetet (Sveriges Riksdag 2021).Undersökningens resultat visar att styrmedel i kategorin Kunskap och stödgenerellt sett är mer accepterat bland partierna än styrmedel inom kategorinFörändrade relativpriser och Reglering och krav. Vidare står det klart att ingetav Sveriges åtta riksdagspartier kommer, inför sin kommande mandatperiod2022–2026, verka för införandet av styrmedelspaketet i sin helhet. Slutsatsen äratt det finns en tydlig diskrepans mellan de uppsatta nationella ochinternationella miljö- och klimatmålen och de politiska partiernas intentionergentemot konsumenten i frågan, samt att den politiska viljan att minska dennadiskrepans generellt är begränsad till enbart vissa styrmedel med låg/långsamgenomslagskraft. / The global food system is facing enormous environmental and healthchallenges to achieve sustainable development. Research in the field showsthat in order for the food system to be contained within the planetaryboundaries, changes are required in production, reduced food waste and dietaryhabits (Willet et al. 2019). According to Röös et al. (2020) there is noindication that this will happen spontaneously, but politically decidedinstruments are needed (Röös et al. 2020).In August 2020, the research platform SLU Future Food presented the reportInstruments for Sustainable Food Consumption - an Overview of Knowledgeand Ways Forward. The report is a survey of the level of knowledge insustainable food consumption and describes 17 possible instruments in thearea. The 17 instruments are divided into three categories based on whichmechanisms the state can use. The report shows that work in the public sectorneeds to be intensified, that national goals are needed for sustainable foodconsumption and that effective and attractive policy packages should bedeveloped and implemented (Röös et al. 2020).The purpose of this study is to examine how Sweden's eight parliamentaryparties relate to the facts and necessary future measures shown in the SLUreport. This is done by investigating whether the parties are willing to adoptgoals for sustainable food consumption that are in line with already decidedclimate and environmental goals and how the parties relate to theimplementation of the 17 instruments proposed by SLU Future Food. For thispurpose, a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire was used. The basis forthe survey design is the report from SLU Future Food. The respondents fromeach party are members of the Committee for the Environment and Agricultureas they are working with environmental and climate policies in Sweden andprepare the Swedish Parliament’s decisions relating to environmental goals(Swedish Parliament 2021).The results of the investigation show that instruments in the categoryKnowledge and Support are generally more accepted among the parties thaninstruments in the categories Changed Relative Prices and Regulation andRequirements. Further, it is clear that none of Sweden's eight parliamentaryparties will, before their forthcoming term of office 2022–2026, promote theimplementation of the policy package in its entirety. The conclusion is thatthere is an evident discrepancy between the national and internationalenvironmental and climate goals and the political parties’ intentions towardsthe consumer in this matter, and political willingness to decrease thisdiscrepancy is generally limited to measures with low/slow impact. / <p>2021-06-04</p>

The aim of this study was to explore consumers’ descriptions of sustainable food consumption. The concept of sustainability can be difficult to grasp, but is often defined in terms of three pillars; environment, society and economy. Prior research of sustainable food consumption have often focused on one of the pillars rather than all of them together in relation to consumers understandings of sustainable food consumption. Notwithstanding, previous research have mentioned that in order to fully comprehend sustainability it is essential to take all of the three pillars into consideration. Therefore, this study acknowledged this gap, as it focused on the three pillars of sustainability as a base, and further connected the three pillars to the four food concepts; organic, Fairtrade, sustainable diets and waste, in order to fully understand consumers descriptions of sustainable food consumption. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, and the data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of students and employees at Linnaeus University in Sweden. The interviewees gave varied and interesting answers, which later were analyzed in comparison to the theory on the subject. With the answers from the interviews it was concluded that environmental and social sustainability were prioritized to economic sustainability among participants. As the participants’ descriptions of sustainable food consumption was varied, and all of the four concepts in relation to three pillars were analyzed, a framework was developed in order to clarify how the consumers describe sustainable food consumption. The study also presents a number of implications for further research as well as managerial implications.  Keywords Sustainable food consumption, consumers description, three pillars of sustainability, economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, organic, Fairtrade, sustainable diets, vegetarian, locally produced, waste reduction, food waste

Visualizations, web technologies and mobile devices are subjects which are trending nowadays in the world of technology and many research projects are tackling different issues. The originality of the thesis is in the aspect of bringing all these mentioned subjects together and providing findings that will help web designers when implementing visualizations for mobile phones. The thesis explores the use of web technologies for the visualization of complex data for mobile devices, both looking at the technical state of the art and capabilities, and at the difference in information needs for users in a mobile usage context. The first part deals with an in-depth research of the existing projects that deal with similar issues, analyzing the official documentation of the technologies and the community of developers. The other part of the research is focused on providing insights on the required changes for adapting to the needs of mobile device users by doing a usability testing on a specific visualization. The results provide information valuable for adapting visualizations, such as font sizes, color combinations, animation complexity and data simplicity. The use case that is used for feeding the visualizations with data belongs to the domain of eco visualizations, in particular dealing with sustainable food consumption.

Das derzeitige Lebensmittelsystem gilt als einer der Hauptverursacher zahlreicher globaler Probleme wie dem Klimawandel und dem Rückgang der Biodiversität. Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE), die eine nachhaltige Ernährung bei jungen Menschen fördert, kann wesentlich zur Überwindung dieser Probleme beitragen. Zudem stellt das Thema einer nachhaltige Ernährung einen in höchster Form geeigneten Beispielkontext für BNE dar, weil es so gut wie kaum ein anderes Thema die ökologische, soziale und ökonomische Dimension einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung in einem regional-globalen Bezugsrahmen vereint. Für die Entwicklung geeigneter Lehr-Lernarrangements sollten jedoch die Lernvoraussetzung bezüglich einer Bildung für nachhaltigen Ernährung berücksichtigt werden, welche sowohl die Präkonzepte zum Unterrichtsgegenstand als auch psychologische Faktoren umfassen, die nachhaltige Ernährungsabsichten und Ernährungsverhaltensweisen fördern. Aufgrund ihrer besonderen Bedeutung für die Ausführung umweltfreundlicher Verhaltensweisen, wie eine nachhaltige Ernährung, untersuchte die erste Studie die Mensch-Natur-Beziehung von 2173 deutschen (MAlter = 14,56 Jahre, SD = 1,45; weiblich: 55,1%) und 451 ecuadorianischen (MAlter = 14,63 Jahre, SD = 1,77; weiblich: 55,3%) Schüler*innen der Sekundarstufe. Im Speziellen wurde die Rolle ausgesuchter grundlegender menschlicher Werte, des Geschlechts und der in der Natur verbrachten Zeit für die Entwicklung von Naturverbundenheit und Umweltbetroffenheit in den zwei Kulturen beleuchtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die ecuadorianischen Schüler*innen naturverbundener als Schüler*innen in Deutschland waren. Darüber hinaus wurden kulturspezifische Unterschiede hinsichtlich der dimensionalen Struktur von Umweltbetroffenheit sowie der Rolle des Geschlechts für die Entwicklung von Naturverbundenheit und biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit ermittelt. Die Wertedimension Selbst-Überwindung sowie die in der Natur verbrachte Zeit stellten in beiden Kulturen Determinanten für Naturverbundenheit und biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit dar. Mit Blick auf die unterrichtliche Praxis sprechen die Befunde der Studie dafür, dass die Wertedimension Selbst-Überwindung und Zeit in der Natur gefördert werden sollten, um die Mensch-Natur-Beziehung bei Schüler*innen sowohl in Ecuador als auch in Deutschland zu stärken. Die zweite Studie verfolgte das Ziel, Faktoren zu identifizieren, die nachhaltige Ernährungsabsichten und -verhalten bei Jugendlichen vorhersagen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in einer zweiten quantitativen Studie 624 deutsche Schüler*innen der Sekundarstufe (MAlter = 16,63 Jahre; SD = 1,15; weiblich: 48,2%) hinsichtlich ihrer Intention, sich nachhaltig zu ernähren, zu ihren Ernährungsgewohnheiten (vegetarisch/vegan oder omnivor) und zu mehreren Faktoren befragt, die in früheren Studien im Zusammenhang mit umweltfreundlichen Verhaltensweisen standen. Die Studie identifizierte die wahrgenommene Konsument*inneneffektivität, biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit sowie Wissen über nachhaltige Ernährung als Determinanten für die Intention sich nachhaltige zu ernähren und für die Ausführung einer vegetarischen Ernährungsweise, welche ein partielles Beispiel einer nachhaltigen Ernährung darstellt. Während Naturverbundenheit lediglich für die Erklärung von der Intention sich nachhaltige zu ernähren relevant war, sagte die dispositionelle Empathie gegenüber Tieren nur Vegetarismus vorher. Damit gibt die Studie wichtige Hinweise darauf, welche Faktoren bei der Entwicklung didaktischer Konzepte zur Förderung nachhaltiger Ernährungsweisen berücksichtigt werden sollten. Mittels semistrukturierten Einzelinterviews wurden in der dritten Studie die Vorstellungen von 46 deutsche Schüler*innen Sekundarstufe (MAlter = 15,59, SD = 0,78; weiblich = 47,8%;) bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung erhoben. Dabei wurde ermittelt, wie präsent die Dimensionen einer nachhaltigen Ernährung (Gesundheit, Umwelt, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Kultur) in den Vorstellungen der Schüler*innen sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Schüler*innenvorstellungen bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung von der gesundheitlichen Dimension dominiert wurden. Je mehr Dimensionen die Schüler*innen jedoch in Ihren Vorstellungen berücksichtigten, desto weniger wurde die gesundheitliche Dimension fokussiert und desto stärker war die Dimension Umwelt in den Vorstellungen vertreten. Die Dimensionen Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und besonders Kultur fanden insgesamt wenig Berücksichtigung in den Vorstellungen der Schüler*innen. Darüber hinaus verfügten einige Schüler*innen über alternative Vorstellungen bezüglich des Ausdrucks einer nachhaltigen Ernährung und konnten keine Beziehung zwischen einer nachhaltigen Ernährung und den Dimensionen Umwelt, Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Kultur herstellen, was auf eine vorherrschend egozentrische Sichtwiese auf Ernährung hindeutet, die die Grenzen des eigenen Körpers nicht überschritt. Da die Vorstellungen von Schüler*innen bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung, aber auch psychologische Faktoren, welche eine nachhaltige Ernährung begünstigen, wichtige Lernvoraussetzungen für eine Bildung für nachhaltige Ernährung darstellen, bilden die Ergebnisse die Grundlage für die erfolgreiche Entwicklung von Lehr-Lernarrangements zu dieser Thematik. Vorschläge zur Integration der Ergebnisse in die unterrichtliche Praxis werden gegeben.

The food industry is one of the main contributors to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The greatest impact is caused by production of animal-sourced foods. To reduce the planetary burden, a dietary shift from animal-based to more plant-based foods is necessary. Policy interventions are tools to achieve such a shift. For policies to be successful, acceptability is a crucial component. Several variables such as age, gender, education level, and geographical residence have previously been identified as decisive for policy acceptability. The aim of the present research is to go beyond these findings and obtain a deeper understanding of acceptability of policy proposals for reduced consumption of animal-sourced foods. Qualitative interviews with Swedish citizens were conducted to investigate which factors influence high respective low policy acceptability. Results indicate that environmental concern, exposure to plant-based foods, perceptions of others’ views, and environmental norms are crucial factors shaping policy acceptability, as these mediate several other critical factors. The discussion pointed out beliefs about the sufficiency of plant-based foods and the necessity of meat, ideas about consumers of plant-based foods as radical, and perceived effectiveness and fairness of the policies to be entry points for increasing policy acceptability, as these beliefs are theoretically established to be susceptible to change. Insights from the research can be used for policy design and communication efforts. The study offers recommendations to communicate the sufficiency and healthiness of plant-based foods, to frame its consumers in a more inclusive and appealing way for meat and dairy consumers to identify with, and to expose the policy tradeoffs by contrasting them with the environmental cause. / Mistra Food Futures WP7

Sustainability labels play an important role as information providers in the food sector. They serve consumers with information regarding a product’s sustainability performance and shows whether the product is compliant with certain rules and regulations. Consumers of today do however find it difficult to orient among the multitude of label alternatives and there are difficulties knowing exactly what the labels stand for. Additionally, the complex concept of sustainability is not fully portrayed through existing labels, as they communicate a one-dimensional viewpoint and lack transparency regarding its sustainability assessment criteria of the product. This lack of transparency creates information asymmetry between consumers and producers, which in turn prevents consumers from making an informed choice. To decrease the prevailing information asymmetry, multidimensional sustainability labels can be an alternative. This since they communicate multiple dimensions of sustainability in a simplified and objective manner. The main aim of the study is to examine whether different consumer attributes correlate with the perception of a multidimensional label. Further, the study aims to evaluate a multidimensional label’s potential to decrease the information asymmetry within the food sector. This was investigated through an online survey with 879 respondents. The results showed that (i) the only customer attribute that correlates with the perception of a multidimensional label is the respondent’s sustainability profile, (ii) the multidimensional label is considered necessary and complementary to existing labels as it clarifies a product’s sustainability performance, and (iii) further research is needed, e.g. regarding what design is easiest to comprehend, to successfully introduce it to the food sector. / Hållbarhetsmärkningar utgör en viktig roll som informationsspridare inom livsmedelsindustrin. De förser konsumenter med information angående hur hållbar en produkt är samt visar huruvida produkten lever upp till vissa regler och förordningar. Dagens konsumenter upplever dock att det är svårt att orientera sig bland alla hållbarhetsmärkningar och att det är svårt att veta vad respektive märkning står för. Dessutom skildrar befintliga hållbarhetsmärkningar inte det komplexa begreppet hållbarhet på ett tillfredsställande sätt, då de kommunicerar en endimensionell bild där märkningens bedömningskriterier inte beskrivs. Denna avsaknad av transparens skapar informationsasymmetri mellan konsumenter och producenter, vilket i sin tur begränsar konsumenternas förmåga att göra ett informerat val. För att minska den rådande informationsasymmetrin kan multidimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningar vara ett alternativ. Detta då de kommunicerar flera dimensioner av hållbarhet på ett förenklat och objektivt sätt. Det huvudsakliga syftet för denna studie är att undersöka huruvida olika konsumenters egenskaper korrelerar med uppfattningen av en flerdimensionell hållbarhetsmärkning. Studien syftar även till att undersöka den flerdimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningens potential att bidra till en minskad informationsasymmetri inom livsmedelsindustrin. Detta undersöktes med hjälp av en nätbaserad enkät med 879 respondenter. Studiens resultat visade att (i) en konsuments hållbarhetsprofil påverkar uppfattningen av en flerdimensionell hållbarhetsmärkning, (ii) den flerdimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningen anses nödvändig och kompletterande till befintliga hållbarhetsmärkningar då den förtydligar hur hållbar en produkt är samt (iii) att vidare studier är nödvändiga för att framgångsrikt introducera hållbarhetsmärkningen till livsmedelsindustrin, exempelvis angående vilken design som är enklast att förstå.