Biodiversity in the supermarket: is the choice in the consumer's hands?

The way we produce food has a major impact on the environment and biodiversity. In order to conserve both biodiversity and protect food security, our food system needs to be changed. This means that not only farmers need to adjust their practices, but it is the entire network of actors involved in processing, distributing, consuming and disposing of foods that need to change as well. Right now, the consumption side is still a bit of a black box.

These are the words of Julia Shen, who lectures in Consumer Communication and Sustainability. Taking the investment theme of Biodiversity-positive Food Systems as a basis, she is working with Marijn Poortvliet, associate professor of Environmental Risk Communication and Sustainability Transitions, to research consumer choices in the supermarket.

Last year, they completed a series of focus groups with interested consumers. Shen: ‘I’m really interested to find out what they say about biodiversity in relation to the choices they make in the supermarket.’ Discussions were held with a group of city dwellers and a group of people living in more of a village or rural location. Next up is analysing the responses of a broader consumer survey with 2,000 people conducted together with Wageningen Food & Biobased Research.

Abstract concept

One of the questions that the survey participants were asked was what comes to mind when they hear the terms biodiversity and strip cropping and whether this influences the choices they make in the supermarket. The focus groups looked in more detail at the question of what biodiversity has to do with food and how people come to the decision to buy a product grown using strip cropping or a product that contributes to biodiversity in any way. ‘We also asked people in the focus group whether they were willing to pay more for these products’, says Shen. ‘In a discussion we can explore their motivations in greater depth.’

Shen has found that people seem to have very broad associations with the term biodiversity. These range from descriptive associations (plants, animals) through to the attribution of values (biodiversity is not faring well). This does not surprise her. ‘Biodiversity is a rather abstract concept. In the 1990s fewer than forty per cent of biology students even knew what it was, according to a study conducted at the time. These days you hear more about biodiversity, but it’s still not easy to put your finger on exactly what it means. People tend to quickly associate it with “organic”, but that is not the same thing.’ According to Shen and Poortvliet, the complexity of the topic is certainly also reflected in how it relates to food and the choices people make in the supermarket.

Focus on the consumer

Both researchers can therefore also see another side to the story about the consumer being the key to change. ‘Companies want to leave the choice to the consumer. A popular idea, also more broadly within society, is to try to influence consumer behaviour, for example by providing more information. Here attention quickly turns to labels on product packaging’, explains Shen. ‘However, you might ask yourself whether you should leave this choice entirely to the consumer.’

Shen and Poortvliet prefer to make a distinction between citizens and consumers. Each has different considerations in relation to this topic. It is not hard to guess what is going through consumers’ minds when they are standing in front of the supermarket shelf. What do I fancy eating today? How much time do I have to do the shopping? How much can I spend? What is a healthy option? Or, just simply: I choose as always. All these questions are competing for attention and what is going through a consumer’s mind may be quite different on another day. ‘The information they have available at that moment is also limited, as there is still little about biodiversity on product packaging. A concept such as strip cropping is not as easily explained, says Shen.

Is that where the problem lies? Would information on the packaging about what strip cropping is make a difference? That remains to be seen. On-product information is likely to be more influential if actively looked for from a sustainability motivation, but much of the information may go unnoticed given the limited time and effort devoted to product choice behaviour. Poortvliet adds to this with an example about mobile phones. ‘If you asked me whether I’d rather have cobalt or another rare metal in my smartphone, I’d say: no idea. I know I’m against environmental pollution and poor working conditions, but which metal is used doesn’t really matter to me. You could see things in the same way when it comes to strip cropping and biodiversity.’

Choice inside or outside the supermarket?

Adding more text or an extra label to the packaging is therefore not necessarily the solution. The only form of communication that is likely to have an influence involves allowing consumers to experience the link between nature and food production themselves. Shen: ‘Places like farm shops, allotments and pick-your-own farms help people understand more quickly that we rely on healthy soil, for example.’ The researchers think this could be a powerful tool, but are also aware that visiting a farm is not an option for everyone.

Most consumers make all their choices about the products they buy when they are actually at the supermarket. That is why supermarkets are the focus of efforts to bring about change and the rest of the food system is often disregarded. One participant from Shen’s focus group made the following point: “Strip cropping sounds great, but why is it not common practice? Why should you have to make this choice yourself as a consumer and pay more for it?” This is where the roles of citizens and also the government come into the picture. ‘The government can play more of a steering role and citizens can influence this by the way they vote. After all, if product offerings are to change, the entire food chain needs to change the way food is produced and processed.’

Does wagging the finger work?

In the meantime, Shen and Poortvliet are keen to gain a better understanding of what the prevailing narrative about the consumer is achieving. The results of the survey and focus groups should help them here. Shen hopes the next step will be a media analysis. ‘Many people pick up information about this topic from the media. I’d like to know how biodiversity is discussed in different media. And also who they think should play what role in this story of biodiversity, food and consumer choice.’