The researchers asked more than 4,000 consumers from six European countries (UK, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden) about their understanding of sustainability issues, including their familiarity with ethical labels. The study has been published in the journal Food Policy.
They found a generally high level of concern, particularly about child labour, deforestation, malnutrition, animal welfare, pesticide use, environmental damage, and food waste. However, the concept of sustainability was more difficult to grasp than issues related to health and nutrition – and therefore lacked relevance for consumers, the researchers found.
“The results imply that sustainability labels currently do not play a major role in consumers’ food choices, and future use of these labels will depend on the extent to which consumers’ general concern about sustainability can be turned into actual behaviour,” the study’s authors wrote.
What does the Rainforest Alliance stand for?
Participants were also asked whether they recognised four different ethical labels: Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Animal Welfare and Carbon Trust. The Fairtrade label was the best-recognised, with about half of participants saying they had seen it before. Recognition was highest in the UK and lowest in Spain.
Most participants correctly identified the meaning behind three of the four labels, except for the Rainforest Alliance logo, for which a majority chose the incorrect answer, “Protecting wildlife in the rainforest”. The logo actually represents “Protecting sustainable agriculture to help farmers, while protecting the local environment”.
Few people look for ethical info…
The study suggested that consumers considered many other product attributes before sustainability issues when looking at food or drink items in the supermarket, including price, brand, quantity, nutrition, country of origin, and even cooking instructions. Ethical and environmental information were among the attributes consumers were least likely to look for, along with allergen information.
However, the authors stressed that the results do not imply there is no future for sustainability labels in Europe, just that their use is currently limited.
“In this context it is also interesting to look at the considerable country differences we found, even after controlling for differences in understanding and motivation,” they wrote.
“This shows that a high level of concern in some countries is more apt to translate into behaviour than in others. To find reasons for this is an interesting aim for future research. One perspective that could be adopted there is to look into differences in the prominence of sustainability issues on the public agenda, which could relate to salience of the concept in the mind of consumers.”
“Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
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