Environmentally sustainable food production and marketing: Opportunity or hype?

Abstract

Purpose

To identify and analyse the beliefs of value‐chain intermediaries regarding the production and marketing of food products conforming to environmentally sustainable standards.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology was in‐depth, semi‐structured, face‐to‐face interviews with senior managers of food companies across the value chain.

Findings

In Australia, the demand for foods that are produced under environmentally sustainable standards has been slow to take‐off because customers do not perceive these products as offering any special benefits; customers distrust the claims made by organisations; these products are much more expensive than traditional products, and the implementation of environmental standards is expensive. Customers claim that the use of different terminologies such as organic, green and environmentally friendly in promoting food products is confusing.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are not generalisable because the study is based on a small sample.

Practical implications

Value‐chain intermediaries are unlikely to voluntarily adopt environmental standards because of low demand for such foods and the high costs of adopting and monitoring environmentally sustainable production and marketing regimes.

Originality/value

The story supports previous research findings from the USA and EU.

Citation

Bhaskaran, S., Polonsky, M., Cary, J. and Fernandez, S. (2006), "Environmentally sustainable food production and marketing: Opportunity or hype?", British Food Journal, Vol. 108 No. 8, pp. 677-690. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700610682355