Sustainability labels and classifications can positively impact consumer acceptance and raise awareness, but they are not driving more sustainable consumer behavior yet.

That’s the assertion of a literature review, ‘Effective labeling of sustainable products’ published by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

The research posits that a more significant impact could happen by combining labels and labeling systems, linking them to other drivers of behavior and emphasizing other benefits such as health. 

It also notes that encouraging consumers to change their dietary habits is a factor.

According to WUR, insights in consumer behavior “are an essential part of making sustainable options more accessible.” 

Wageningen’s research includes how information about sustainability on packaging influences consumers choices and possible behavioral mechanisms to support behavioral change.

“Most studies show that labeling has some impact compared to an absence of labeling. In general, labeling accounts for 18 percent of consumer acceptance. The use of a fair trade logo appears to have the strongest positive effect,” says WUR.

“It’s also effective to communicate health benefits alongside environmental and sustainability benefits. Consumers are more likely to buy a product with combined environmental, fair trade and climate-neutral certification than one with individual labels.”The research posits that combining labels, linking them to other drivers of behavior and emphasizing other benefits such as health could have a greater impact.

Misunderstandings and trust
The research also notes that traffic-light labels (such as the green-yellow-red health score) make it easier for consumers to choose a sustainable option. In contrast, combining labels seems to be a more effective approach than using individual labels because having multiple separate labels can confuse.

It appears that consumers don’t always fully understand or trust labels. Price and product origin are often the factors that determine whether a consumer buys a sustainable product or not.

Sometimes, consumers claim they are making a sustainable choice, even when this is not the case, so their intentions and actual behavior aren’t necessarily aligned, adds WUR.

“The success of a label depends on it being clear and recognizable. The clearer a label is, the more it is trusted, and this, in turn, increases the willingness to pay for it. But labels can’t be overloaded with information,” they say.

“Sustainability needs to be clearly communicated and relevant to the buyer. It’s effective to show that consumer choices have an impact, and to specify the real benefits of sustainable choices, such as the number of bees on a farm.”

The literature review covered environmental and social well-being, animal welfare, consumers, food/nutrition and communication. It drew only on Western literature sources, with 42 percent of articles from Western Europe.