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Researchers from the University of Hamburg Business School and INSEAD reveal that political ideology strongly influences whether carbon footprint labels on food products shift consumers’ choices toward more sustainable options. In two studies, as the proportion of products labeled increased, liberal and moderate American consumers chose lower-emission foods, while conservative consumers remained unaffected. Their study has been published in Nutrients, a first-quartile scientific journal in the field of nutrition.
Julia Diana Lenk, a doctoral researcher from the University of Hamburg Business School at the Professorship Marketing & Branding (Professor Henrik Sattler), along with Professor Pierre Chandon and Shemal Doshi from INSEAD, investigate why some consumers change their food choices in response to carbon footprint labels, while others remain unaffected. Their research, featured in the highly-cited journal Nutrients, shows how individual characteristics - especially political ideology - moderate their responsiveness to eco-labeling.
Across two incentive-compatible choice experiments simulating shopping behavior, the authors found that increasing the presence of eco-labels on food products significantly nudged liberal and moderate Americans to choose lower-emission foods. In contrast, conservatives' choices remained largely unchanged. “Although eco-labeling has a stronger impact on the food choices of people with centrist or left-leaning political beliefs, it does not backfire among conservatives, making it an overall win, “ explains Professor Chandon. A third study showed that these effects on liberals' intentions to buy lower-emission foods persisted into medium-term purchase intentions.
Interestingly, sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, education, income, socioeconomic position, and urban residence did not directly moderate label responsiveness. However, a younger age, lower subjective socioeconomic position, and urban residence were associated with a more liberal political ideology, which in turn increased responsiveness to labeling.
The research enhances understanding of the critical moderating role of political ideology in the context of eco-labeling and provides actionable insights to improve the targeting and design of sustainability interventions. The study is particularly relevant as governments and retailers seek ways to reduce the food sector’s substantial environmental impact.
Julia Diana Lenk, e-mail: Julia.diana.lenk@uni-hamburg.de
Pierre Chandon, e-mail: pierre.chandon@insead.edu
Which Consumers Change Their Food Choices in Response to Carbon Footprint Labels? The Role of Political Ideology and Other Socio-Demographic Factors
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/8/1321
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/8/1321
Julia Diana Lenk vor der INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau
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Julia Diana Lenk vor der INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau
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