Government wants consumers to drive sustainable food consumption by helping them make informed choices. Businesses recognise their ability to influence consumers – but insist they can only be ‘half a step ahead’ of their customers. So the onus for delivering a sustainable food system is firmly on the consumer.
But consumers don’t want this responsibility; identifying the ‘sustainable’ option is complicated and inevitably subjective; and for many consumers in a recession, sustainable food isn’t their main priority.
The discussion was introduced by two speakers: Dan Crossley, Principal Sustainability Adviser at Forum for the Future; and Sue Davis, Chief Policy Adviser at Which?
Geoff Tansey, Food Ethics Council Trustee, chaired the event.