May 28, 2008 by
Brian Butler | Filed under: Overview,Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
There is a need to inform consumers on sustainability of products to enable them to make informed purchasing decisions, and subsequently there is much need for identifying and effectively assessing methods to inform consumers.
This workshop produced a few consensus thoughts on sustainability labeling & consumer education; such as on the topic of what makes a label an effective information tool, it was determined that consumers need to be able to adequately recognize the label and know what the label implies; additionally, these labels need the right balance of information (not too much, not too little).
With regard to what factors influence a consumer’s willingness to purchase sustainable products, the workshop groups felt that perceived personal gain (quality of the product, social pressures to buy sustainable products, cost vs. disposable income, etc.) played a significant role.
This workshop also discussed what information should be disclosed, and it was felt that there was a divide between what consumers want to know ( i.e., , and what “experts” think consumers need to know.
– Social issues
– child labor, living wage, labor health and safety conditions, investment in community, where product was made, where resources originated
– Product safety issues
– hazardous materials content
– Environmental issues
– carbon footprint, energy efficiency, product quality/durability, reliability, recyclability, recycled content, waste output
– Need to find out what works best for consumer
• Recognizable, meaning understood
• Consider ways to normalize information to account for impact related to quantity (per unit of product or use)
• Limited/simplified info on product (label) with more detailed information on criteria provided separately (e.g., insert, bar code)
You can view the symposium powerpoint HERE.
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April 24, 2008 by
John Morelli | Filed under: Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
The three questions that were originally suggested by Lisa appear the most likely for the focus of this discussion:
- What types of environmental, social, and economic labelling already exist?
- What information should be included in sustainability?
- What is the best way to present the information to the consumer?
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May 6, 2009 by
maitamim ,
Brian Butler ,
Brian Butler ,
Brian Butler ,
Brian Butler ,
Brian Butler and
Brian Butler | Filed under: Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
ZINK, Klaus J. University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany “Stakeholder Orientation and Corporate Social Responsibility as a Precondition for Sustainability”. Total Quality Management Vol. 16, No. 8–9, 1041–1052, October–November 2005
ABSTRACT
The demand for sustaining excellence is related to a lot of issues. In the past, many activities of companies have primarily been led by programmes. As a result, at the very beginning it has been obvious that a programme has a lifespan – and then the next programme will follow. This is not a good precondition for sustainable success. Therefore, different approaches had to be found to gain sustainability based on a continuous improvement process.
But again, there are limits if not all relevant target groups are in the focus. As a consequence, this paper deals with the relevance of a stakeholder orientation in a frame of corporate social responsibility as a precondition for sustainability.
Please follow the link below to view the full text of this article:
Informaworld
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April 24, 2008 by
BAKHTIYAR IBRAYEV | Filed under: Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
Food and sustainability: Do consumers recognize, understand and value on-package information on production standards?
This survey was done in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
“Abstract
We tested how consumers recognize, understand and value on-package information about food production methods that may contribute to a more sustainable agriculture. Nine copy tests were formed, each containing one out of three products and one out of three panels of information. The products were (1) fillet of chicken, (2) semi-skimmed milk and (3) fillet of salmon. The panels of information were (a) a certified organic logo and details about the animal welfare standards of organic products, (b) just the logo, or (c) a statement in which the product was attributed to the world market. About 371 customers of a supermarket in the city of Amsterdam filled in a questionnaire, which included a subset of three copy tests. The results showed that many consumers did not realize that the organic logo already covers all the standards. They were inclined to underestimate the distinctive advantage of the logo; products with logo and details got higher ratings of positive attributes but were also considered more expensive. As a consequence, the detailed information panels enabled consumers to choose more in agreement with their personal values but the net impacts on purchase intentions were small.”
Do consumers recognize, understand and value on-package information on production standards?
Carolien T. Hoogland, Joop de Boer, Jan J. Boersema, Food and sustainability: Do consumers recognize, understand and value on-package information on production standards?, AppetiteVolume 49, Issue 1, , July 2007, Pages 47-57.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WB2-4MT5JV0-3/1/8185a0afaadc14c9d13a48f5a7792e8f)
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April 24, 2008 by
BAKHTIYAR IBRAYEV | Filed under: Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
An example of customer education through advertising on supermarket shelves.
“The purpose of this study was to evaluate the awareness and use of a supermarket-shelf labeling program designed to encourage shoppers to make food choices that promote heart health.”
Customer education
JASON E. LANG, NELDA MERCER, DIEM TRAN, LORI MOSCA, Use of a Supermarket Shelf-Labeling Program to Educate a Predominately Minority Community About Foods That Promote Heart Health, Journal of the American Dietetic AssociationVolume 100, Issue 7, , July 2000, Pages 804-809.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B758G-4875BH3-3D/1/84d6921986e21f61beffd7b5108b0835)
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April 20, 2008 by
Frances | Filed under: Sustainability Labeling and Consumer Education [1,2]
Hello Bakhtiyar Ibrayev and Fabiana Kotoriy. The symposium is coming up and I was wondering what you thought about our topic. John posted an example of a label we could use. What do you think of it? Have you been able to find other examples or resources that would help us determine what the label should contain, how it should look, who should administer it, or what is the consumer reaction to labels? I look forward to hearing your opinions!
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