Carbon food labels unlikely to close intention-behavior gaps in grocery shopping

In this preprint, we present evidence from pre-registered randomized experiments, including a representative survey sample of 2,372 Swiss residents and a field experimental sample of over five million daily food purchase decisions made by 1,602 Swiss consumers over several years. For the experiments, we collaborated with one of Switzerland’s largest retailers to causally evaluate the impact of one of the world’s first carbon food labels implemented in grocery stores. Our findings indicate a positive effect of the carbon food label treatment on individuals’ reported attitudes and purchase intentions. However, the treatment had a limited effect on actual purchasing behavior, resulting in no significant decreases in food-related emissions and slight increases in poultry purchases. This suggests that carbon food labels alone are unlikely to be an effective demand-side instrument and should be complemented by other food policies to effectively align consumer demand with climate mitigation goals.