Conditions for Sustainable Food Consumption: A Comparative Study of Europeans' Valuations of Chicken Meat

Presently, we are witnessing an increased public attention directed towards the negative impacts on climate and environment from food production and consumption. Policies aimed at changing consumption patterns are focused on voluntary measures, such as information and labelling schemes for consumers to make conscious choices in the market. However, such measures have proven to be of highly variable importance and only a small proportion of consumers consciously choose so-called ethical products when buying food. By a comparison of Europeans' valuations of chicken meat, we discuss the dynamics between individual processes and the social and contextual conditions for consumption changes. This study is based on national representative surveys carried out in seven European countries, and concerns peoples' valuations of indirect quality factors related to origin, animal welfare and their relation to producer, brand and production methods (organic, breed). Overall, the engagement varies considerably across Europe as well as in the sociodemographic patterns. We ascribe this variation mainly to cultural, social and institutional differences. This chapter concludes that despite European harmonization of regulations and integrated markets, the consumer role is shaped quite differently depending on cultural and social structures as well as institutional configurations and trust. These contextual conditions need to be considered when formulating policies on food consumption and food system transitions.