"Good for nature - good for you"? : values and sustainable food consumption - promoting sustainably produced food products to Finnish consumers

Food consumption and food choices are a vital part of humans’ lifestyles. In addition, it is widely acknowledged that food is one of the key consumption contexts for environmental and social impacts around the world. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the discussion on promoting sustainable food consumption. More specifically, this study provides insights into the promotion of sustainably produced food to consumers as well as into the value orientations linked with sustainable food consumption. This dissertation contributes to the existing literature on sustainable food consumption by showing that such consumption may be motivated by a plethora of value orientations – and their combinations – and that it is not only pro-environmental or green consumption. The first aim of this study is to understand and describe what the values associated with sustainably produced food are. The second aim is to provide information on consumers’ perceptions of the importance of the different dimensions of corporate responsibility (CR) in the Finnish food sector and what food chain CR dimensions consumers want to be informed about. Finally, the third aim is to provide insight into consumers’ perceptions of the communication channels used to promote sustainably produced food to consumers. In order to accomplish these aims, a mixed-methods research approach is used. The main result of this study suggests that different value orientations are not necessarily mutually exclusive when considering sustainable consumption. In addition, this research shows that sustainable food consumption decisions are very much guided by habits and convenience, and motivated by a plethora of value orientations and their combinations. Consumers, furthermore, are interested in sustainability and the different dimensions of food chain CR, and they want clear, reliable and conveniently available information about these issues. The study also offers insight on which communication channels could be effective when communicating about the responsibility and sustainability of the food chain to consumers. In addition to yielding new information about the barriers and motivational factors regarding sustainable food consumption as well as the values associated with sustainably produced food, the research results can help to plan more effective promotion of sustainably produced food in the future.