Jessica Aschemann-Witzel

European agrifood systems face many challenges and dilemmas regarding sustainability, resilience and competitiveness. Through consultations with scientific experts, we identified five systemic lock-ins (governance and policy fragmentation; behavioural and dietary challenges; political economy and market dynamics; unaccountability and environmental degradation; disruption and unpredictability as the new norm) hindering agrifood systems transformation. Based on concrete examples, we propose five guiding principles that, in various combinations, can help address lock-ins and guide effective changes towards more healthy and sustainable food systems. Their successful implementation requires strong, experience-inspired, science-based political and business leadership supported by a revised research and innovation agenda.

Consumer uptake of organic food is shaped by both personal values and the way choices are structured in the retail environment. Unlike prior research, we here investigate how elements of supermarket choice architecture influence organic choices. Using an incentive‐compatible online supermarket experiment across four countries, we examine the impacts on consumer choices of organic product availability and assortment as well as competing quality and sustainability cues. We find that greater availability and a broader assortment of organic options boost organic purchases. Competing quality cues, like branding, social norm nudges and other sustainability labels on conventional products divert attention away from organic alternatives and ultimately reduce organic purchases. These results highlight the need for careful alignment of sustainability messaging and other choice architecture elements in retail strategy. To strengthen organic markets, retailers and policymakers should prioritise a broad, consistent, well‐curated organic assortment and harmonise competing labels that vie for limited consumer attention.

Denmark has recently agreed on the so-called Green Tripartite Agreement that restructures agriculture and land use to fulfill climate and environmental goals and implement a green transition of the agricultural and food sector. Little is known, though, about what citizens think about these changes, the extent to which they are aware of the multiple beneficial outcomes the agreement promises, and which are the mechanism furthering understanding and acceptance of the complex and interconnected goals of the Green Transition of the agricultural and food sector in general. This study explores a people’s perspective on the green agrifood transition and the Green Tripartite Agreement in Denmark in two parts: The first part (found in this report) focuses on consumer-citizens views on the green transition in agriculture, and the second part (forthcoming) focuses on consumer-citizens views and behaviour when it comes to the dietary transition. This report is an outcome of the project ‘Green Transition Index’ at Aarhus University, Denmark. It is conducted by the MAPP and Land-CRAFT centres and funded by the Business and Social Science (BSS) Faculty, the MAPP Centre, and Land-CRAFT Centre (especially part 1). Part of the funding for the work (especially part 2) also comes from the PlantTip project funded by Novo Nordisk Foundation (see https://www.planttip.dk/). The aim is to repeat the study to track potential changes.

The shift in consumer behaviour towards more plant-based eating is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is because of the significant impact of meat, the huge role of individuals in food choice, and the inequalities observed. Behaviour change about food is often underestimated, but because individuals have greater agency than in other sectors, it has huge potential. The case of Denmark shows that consumer trends can ultimately contribute to triggering a policy turn-around in a country. Research from the case exemplifies that rather than ‘the consumer’ there are diverse consumer segments. It also shows that processing scepticism among greener segments could be a hindrance to market development. We suggest that as we advance, research should explore individual consumer change pathways and the best sequence of different stakeholder market and policy actions in sustainability transitions to further plant-rich eating that contributes to achieving the SDGs.

The PlantPro project aimed at researching the acceleration of an efficient green consumer behaviour transition in the food sector, with a major focus on more plant-rich diets. It is a research project funded by Innovation Fund Denmark which ran from the first of April, 2021 to December, 2024. Social scientists focusing on the food sector from three Danish universities, including Aarhus University, Copenhagen Business School, and the University of Copenhagen, collaborated with 16 partners – sector representatives from large and small companies, retailers, NGO´s, think tanks, and network organisations. As such, the project is unique in its focus on market and behaviour, and the way it brings together a broad range of stakeholders. The research in the project explored previous and ongoing food sector transitions, consumer-citizen behaviour changes and perception across different segments, and the actions to nudge, inform, or motivate behaviour change in different public and private choice contexts. This research was built on well-studied theories of sector sustainability transitions and social tipping, as well as a broad range of behaviour change theories. Diverse methods were used, ranging from case studies and expert interviews, to repeated representative surveys following trends over time, and experimental online surveys looking at specific mechanisms of change, to finally lab and real-life experiments looking at household, canteen, and supermarket behaviours. As a practical implication, the project delivers a catalogue of marketing and policy actions that can contribute to accelerating an efficient green consumer behaviour transition in the food sector. We list and describe this catalogue on the next pages. We have three major conclusions. The first is about the status of change. The second is about the road from here. The third is about the range of actions for both immediate and sustained effects.

Objectives: This study aims to propose and evaluate a theory-driven questionnaire addressing barriers to healthy eating among mothers of young children. Methods: Statements drawing upon the Social Cognitive Theory were developed/gathered based on literature review and previous qualitative research. Part I (43 items) included general barriers, attitudes to nutrition advice and outcome expectations. Part II (9 items) included subjective knowledge and general self-efficacy scales. An online survey was undertaken with 267 Danish women. The validation process included content and face validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested possible associations between the constructs and potential health outcomes (BMI and healthiness of eating habits). Results: The EFA supported an adequate factorial validity with a 5-factor, 37-item structure model for Part I, and a high internal reliability of Parts I and II (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7). The CFA revealed an association between certain constructs and perceived healthiness of eating and BMI. Results support the reliability and factorial validity of the social cognitive measures assessing barriers to healthy eating among mothers. Conclusions for Practice: These promising findings of reliability and initial validity suggest that researchers and practitioners interested in identifying women who face difficulties in the family food environment may find the scales useful. We propose a short version of the questionnaire for health practitioners.