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

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Christoph Schulze
  • Bettina Matzdorf
  • Jens Rommel
  • Mikołaj Czajkowski
  • Marina García-Llorente
  • Inés Gutiérrez-Briceño
  • Lina Larsson
  • Katarzyna Zagórska
  • Wojciech Zawadzki

External Research Organisations

  • Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
  • University of Warsaw
  • Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
  • KRAV ekonomisk förening
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number108066
Number of pages12
JournalEcological economics
Volume217
Early online date7 Dec 2023
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2024

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 labels, Food system common agricultural policy, Q methodology, Value chain

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling. / Schulze, Christoph; Matzdorf, Bettina; Rommel, Jens et al.
In: Ecological economics, Vol. 217, 108066, 03.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Schulze, C, Matzdorf, B, Rommel, J, Czajkowski, M, García-Llorente, M, Gutiérrez-Briceño, I, Larsson, L, Zagórska, K & Zawadzki, W 2024, 'Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling', Ecological economics, vol. 217, 108066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.108066
Schulze, C., Matzdorf, B., Rommel, J., Czajkowski, M., García-Llorente, M., Gutiérrez-Briceño, I., Larsson, L., Zagórska, K., & Zawadzki, W. (2024). Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling. Ecological economics, 217, Article 108066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.108066
Schulze C, Matzdorf B, Rommel J, Czajkowski M, García-Llorente M, Gutiérrez-Briceño I et al. Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling. Ecological economics. 2024 Mar;217:108066. Epub 2023 Dec 7. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.108066
Schulze, Christoph ; Matzdorf, Bettina ; Rommel, Jens et al. / Between farms and forks : Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling. In: Ecological economics. 2024 ; Vol. 217.
Download
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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.",
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