The use of eco-labeling like initiatives on food products to promote quality assurance-is there enough credibility?

Summary, in English

The development of this paper was inspired by the increase in the number of different eco-label like quality assurance sche established in the European Union in the past few years. These schemes are flooding the market and the researchers raise question, is there enough credibility in these schemes? This piece of research is based on 58 eco-labeling like food schemes dissects them into the building blocks of the different factors that makes a scheme credible and analyses the structure of tl blocks as well as a literature survey on the perceptions of both the consumers and producers to these schemes. The sort of credib structure that the building blocks of the schemes (ownership, stakeholder dialogue, traceability, transparency, etc.) have ere was discussed and it was questioned if they meet the expectations of the consumers. The main findings of the research indi that although small groups of consumers may be satisfied with a number of the different schemes, the majority of them fall s of providing a credible quality assurance scheme. Improvements were suggested such as involving a more diverse range of st; holders and expanding the responsibility of processors and retailers. An alternative to the current form of labeling is also discus.

• Author: Helen Nilsson; Burcu Tunçer; Åke Thidell
• Department/s: The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
• Publishing year: 2007
• Language: English
• Pages: 367-376
• Publication/Series: Labelling Strategies in Environmental Policy
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781351154529-31
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
• Keywords: Credibility; EU; Food labeling; Quality Assurance Schemes
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 9781351154529; ISBN: 9781351154512