Good intentions: how we can manage to eat healthily and sustainably – GDI publishes a new trend paper
Rüschlikon, 20 December 2023. 98 percent of the Swiss population want to change their diet at least to some extent. 91 percent want to throw away less food, more than three quarters want to eat healthier, more seasonal or regional food, and 42 percent want to skip meat and fish more often. However, as motivated as the Swiss population is, the same products largely still end up on their plates. There is a gap between intention and implementation. This is shown by a representative survey in the new trend paper “From resolution to plate: why good nutritional intentions fail” from the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. In the trend paper, 31 food experts also answer the question: where do consumers have the greatest need for knowledge; where is their influence and scope for action greatest?
The number of gym subscriptions spikes at the beginning of the year, but by February, the exercise temples are once again empty. This phenomenon can also be observed in our eating habits, as shown in a consumer survey conducted by the GDI. The Swiss population would like to eat more sustainably, but there is a clear gap between intention and implementation. This “intention-behaviour gap” lies – despite all the good nutritional intentions – between 29 and 45 percent. This means that between just under a third and almost half of people fail to achieve their goal, depending on their intention. The biggest gap is in the intentions to avoid packaging and to only buy food that has short transport routes and takes animal welfare into account.
Consumers’ need for knowledge and opportunity to influence
The knowledge needed to make an informed decision is often lacking. Many consumers do not seem to understand the impact of their diet on the environment and climate. The environmental effect of some behaviours – such as regional and seasonal eating – is overestimated by consumers. The impact of others, such as lower meat consumption, tends to be underestimated. Furthermore, the influence that consumers can have on the food system differs depending on the respective measure. They can easily avoid food waste, but it is difficult for consumers to change the packaging of a product.
Four options for action towards greater sustainability in nutrition
Based on this conflict area between a need for knowledge and the opportunity to influence, the GDI researchers, together with 31 food experts, identify four areas in the trend paper in which there are good opportunities for consumers and companies to take action:
- Easy Influence, ideal for beginners: avoiding food waste, buying organic products and reducing dairy products, fish and meat as well as animal products in general
- Smart Mastery, the field for professionals: consideration of animal welfare
- Systemic Challenge,
the challenge for die-hards: reducing product packaging and promoting the regionality of products
- Collective Action,
the playground for tenacious nerds: advocating fair production conditions, the shortest possible transport routes and the purchase of seasonal foods as well as those with the lowest possible CO2 emissions.
The trend paper “From resolution to plate: why good nutritional intentions fail” is available to download free of charge as of 20 December at gdi.ch/essverhalten If you have any questions or interview requests, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A survey idea “How well do you manage to implement your dietary resolutions?” is available on request.
Media contact
Franziska Wiesner
Head of Marketing and Communications
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Rüschlikon
Telefon +41 79 542 00 30
franziska.wiesner@gdi.ch
Über das Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut