Sustainable consumption – Challenges from a consumer's perspective using examples of visually imperfect foods, plant proteins, and processed organic foods

With the EU Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, the need to make our food systems more sustainable has become central to society. Consumers can contribute by reducing food waste, shifting towards plant-based diets, and increasing organic food consumption. This thesis aims to better understand consumers' sustainable food choice and develops recommendations to promote organic and sustainable food consumption. Three empirical studies were conducted: (1) on the reduction of food loss via consumer acceptance of imperfect fruits, (2) on preferences for organic and locally produced legumes, and (3) on the acceptance of processed organic foods and processing technologies. Findings reveal that food choices are shaped by environmental and health values, simple heuristics, and objective criteria, with values and heuristics playing a greater role for complex or imperfect products. Policy and retail recommendations include targeted communication, improved choice architecture, and social nudging to enhance sustainable consumption.