The food-systems accounts for more than a quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This presentation introduces a series of consumer behaviour-focused experimental studies that help to evaluate the effectiveness of different demand-side strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of food consumption when eating out. These strategies include several nudging techniques around menu design as well as different forms of information provisioning to target consumer beliefs, social norms and pleasure. The presentation derives theoretical, methodological and practical insights from this series of field and scenario-based experiments (with and without the help of a Virtual Reality environment). The findings suggest that to achieve more sustainable consumer behaviour around food choices in restaurants (a) various nudging approaches are promising; (b) treatments that leverage social norms can work if they are boosted with ‘momentum effects’; and (c) targeting consumer beliefs appears less effective. However, if beliefs are targeted, egoistically anchored self-benefit appeals show greater potential compared to altruistically anchored other-benefits. The presentation also makes methodological considerations by exploring ways to enhance realism in simulation-based experiments.
 

TYPE OF RESEARCH –Empirical
For further information please refer to: seminars.dipsa@unibg.it