The role of individual choices
in driving globally significant changes
to the food system in Australia
David Pearson
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 (2) 6201 5720
Sustainability Development and Food Security Research Cluster
University of Canberra, Australia
ANU Human Ecology Forum
2 September 2011
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The challenge…
•  vital work is needed to establish more precisely what
'sustainable food' represents
(GOS 2011)
•  paucity of knowledge about ‘what information is most
useful to consumers wishing to make informed
decisions about the environmental and social impacts
of their food choices’
(Pretty & etal. 2010:233)
•  developing ‘demand-led change towards low impact
diets’
(Defra 2010:4)
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‘Creating behavioural change in consumers is crucial
to the environmental sustainability of food systems,
its impact is greater than the potential from
agronomic or genetic advances.’
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Consumer views...
•  Put plants on your plate
–  (ie reduce meat consumption)
•  Reach for real food
–  (ie minimal processing),
•  Send packaging packing &
Finish your peas
–  (ie reduce food waste )
•  DIY food
–  (ie grow your own, reclaim kitchen)
•  Lean towards local
•  Don't panic, go organic
(Lappe 2010)
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Behavioural changes
for more sustainable diets
High priority areas:
• 
• 
• 
• 
↓ consumption of meat products
↓ consumption of dairy products
↓ consumption of food of low nutritional value
↓ food waste
Lower priority areas:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
↓ out of season fruits and vegetables
↓ consumption of non-sustainable fish
↓ consumption of non-organic foods
↓ energy input from purchasing and preparation
↓ consumption of bottled water
(SDC
2009)
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Research methodology
•  Focus group discussions
–  30 students
(Pearson et al. 2010)
•  Online questionnaire
–  160 household food buyers, 75% women
–  City (Canberra), above average income and education
–  Full range of ages
–  (32% overweight or obese)
(Pearson et al. 2011)
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Summary of key findings
The environment is important to food buyers:
–  most (96%) would like to lead a more
environmentally friendly lifestyle
–  many (53%) think about the environment when
making choices about food
–  a few (3-17%) are already engaged in
environmentally friendly behavior
–  many (15-80%) would change to more environmentally
friendly behaviour
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I would like to lead a more
environmentally friendly lifestyle
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
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disagree
I think about the environment
when buying food
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
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disagree
High priority environmentally
friendly behaviours
Consumers already doing (%)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
↓ junk food
↓ meat
↓ food waste
↓CRICOS
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Low priority environmentally
friendly behaviours
Consumers already doing (%)
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
↓ bottled water
↓ non↓ non-seasonal ↓ energy use
sustainable fish
produce
↓ non-organic
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Will consumers change
their behaviour???
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Consumers willing to change
behaviour - high priority areas
80
70
Consumers (%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
↓ food waste
↓ junk food
↓ meat
↓CRICOS
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Consumers willing to change
behaviour - low priority areas
90
80
Consumers (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
↓ bottled water ↓ non-seasonal
↓ non↓ non-organic
produce
sustainable fish
food
↓ energy use
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Conclusions – target areas
Reduce food waste:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Purchase appropriate amount
Use before spoilage occurs
Re-use cooked food
Avoid overeating
Recycling of food waste (feeding animals, composting)
Government program in Australia, based on WRAP (UK) (http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/)
An example of advertising – information for public education
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Conclusions (continued)
Reduce consumption of low nutritional value foods
•  Does not add to health, but may add to ‘happiness’
‘Australia needs a tax on junk food’
(Bond et al Medical Journal of Australia Oct 2010)
An example of differential pricing
‘NSW Greens out to ban junk food in schools’
(22 March 2011 from http://www.sbs.com.au/)
An example of choice editing
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Conclusions (continued)
Purchases of bottled water
•  University of Canberra becomes
Australia’s first bottled water free campus (10 Feb 2011)
An example of choice editing
– and provision of alternative
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Conclusions (continued)
Meat consumption:
•  In Australia, consider switch from ruminant meat
(high carbon footprint) to animals such as kangaroo
An example of cultural change
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Lifelong habits rather than short term fads
the behavioural approach involves making
many small, sustainable adjustments in habits
that are prompted and encouraged by the people
and the rest of the physical environment
around the decision maker
(adapted from Freedman 2011)
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Discussion ??
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Acknowledgements:
This research has received support from the University of Canberra through the Sustainability
Development and Food Security Research Cluster
References:
Defra (2010). Food: a recipe for a healthy, sustainable and successful future: Second Report of the
Council of Food Policy Advisors. London: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
Freedman, R. (2011). How to fix the obesity crisis. Scientific American, Feb, 20-27
GOS (2011). Foresight. The Future of Food and Farming. London: Government Office for Science.
Lappe, A (2010) Diet for a hot planet London: Bloomsbury.
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Pearson, D., Henryks, J. and Jones, H (2011). ‘Organic Food: What we know (and don’t know)
about consumers.’ Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, vol. 26, no 2, pp. 171–7.
Pearson, D. Rowe, P., and Minehan, M. (2011). ‘Sustainable diets: What are consumers already
doing and what will they do?’ 2nd World Social Marketing Conference, Dublin, 11-13 April.
Pretty, J., & etal. (2010). The top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture.
International journal of agricultural sustainability, 8(4), 199-236.
SDC, 2009. Setting the table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets.
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Sustainable Development Commission, London.