Why can't we eat in a more climate-friendly way?

Christine Schäfer, why are our eating habits less sustainable than we would like?
Changing our behaviour is very difficult. The term used is an 'intention-behaviour gap', which means failing to actually do what we intend to. It takes a long time to establish new habits and in some cases, there is simply a lack of knowledge.

What kind of knowledge do you mean?
We included a quiz on sustainability in a consumer survey. The result was surprising, as only 17% of the respondents were able to answer the questions. Most people are aware there is a connection between nutrition and climate change, but they don't know what has the biggest impact. The transportation of goods is usually overestimated as a cause. Beef sourced from the local region has a higher carbon footprint than chilli peppers imported from abroad. Meat always performs worse than vegetables.

Is more information required?
Yes, for example through better product labelling. When asked what would help them to eat healthier and more sustainably, the study participants indicated a wider selection of products in addition to lower prices.

Are sustainable habits contagious?
In a GDI study on food culture, we revealed the great extent to which community, tradition and roots influence our diet. We live in a bubble in this respect. Some 52% of under-30s say that social media influences their eating behaviour at least to some extent, and it even has a large to very large influence for 24% of this demographic group. The situation is different for the over-60s however, as 71% stated that social media has no influence on their eating habits.

Do younger people eat less meat than their older counterparts?
The younger generation has greater awareness of sustainability, animal welfare and their own bodies. According to one of our GDI studies, they are more open to lab-grown meat than older generations and are more likely to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. However, you can't lump all younger people together. Some think they have to help to protect the environment, whereas others don't care about sustainability. Some believe it's too late anyway. The damage has already been done by the generations before them.

Do you have any specific advice on enjoying a more sustainable and healthier diet?
The easiest way to eat a more sustainable diet is to reduce the consumption of animal products, such as meat, fish and cheese. However, very few people want to give up certain foods. That's why we need more healthy and tasty alternatives with a lower carbon footprint.

What else needs to be done?
As the feedback collected in our survey indicates, there is a need for lower prices, clearer labelling, better availability and a wider selection of suitable products. These are all systemic hurdles that consumers cannot influence directly. They are dependent on changes in production, retail and politics. Sustainable and healthy food not only need to be tasty and readily available, but also affordable.