Encouraging Organic Food Consumption through Visualization of Personal Shopping Data

Cecilia Katzeff, Rebecka Milestad, Jorge Luis Zapico and Ulrica Bohné
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Cecilia Katzeff: Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Rebecka Milestad: Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Jorge Luis Zapico: Department of Computer Science and Media Technology, Linnaeus University, SE-351 95 Växjö, Sweden
Ulrica Bohné: School of Engineering Science, University of Skövde, SE-541 28 Skövde, Sweden

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Although food retailers have embraced organic certified food products as a way to reduce their environmental loading, organic sales only make up a small proportion of total sales worldwide. Most consumers have positive attitudes towards organic food, but attitudes are not reflected in behaviour. This article addresses consumers’ attitude–behaviour gap regarding their purchase of organic food and reports on how visualization of personal shopping data may encourage them to buy more organic food. Through the design of the visualization tool, the EcoPanel, and through an empirical study of its use, we provide evidence on the potential of the tool to promote sustainable food shopping practices. Of 65 users that tested the EcoPanel for five months, in-depth interviews were made with nine of these. The test users increased their purchase of organic food by 23%. The informants used the EcoPanel to reflect on their shopping behaviour and to increase their organic shopping. We conclude that the visualization of food purchases stimulates critical reflection and the formation of new food shopping practices. This implies that food retailers may increase sales of organic food through using a visualization tool available for their customers. In this way, these retailers may decrease their environmental impact.

Keywords: organic food; sustainable consumption; visualization; personal shopping data; reflection; feedback (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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