Increasing the Consumption of Environmentally Friendly Foods in a University Dining Hall Using Menu Item Placement

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Behavioral Economics
• Food Science

Background:

• Promoting sustainable food choices is crucial for individual and societal well-being.
• University environments present unique opportunities to influence dietary habits.
• Understanding consumer behavior in food selection is key to driving sustainable practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of menu reordering based on carbon footprint on food choices.
• To encourage plant-based and low-carbon meal selections in a university eatery.
• To assess the impact of ingredient placement on consumer purchasing decisions.

Main Methods:

• Conducting a field experiment in a university grab-and-go eatery.
• Reordering menu items based on carbon footprint values for two five-week periods.
• Recording and analyzing sales data for over 500,000 menu items.

Main Results:

• Menu reordering showed a significant association with customer food choices across most categories.
• Students were more inclined to select low-carbon options when they appeared first on the menu.
• Beef consumption remained unchanged, indicating specific food items may be less susceptible to menu placement influence.

Conclusions:

• Menu design and ingredient placement can effectively steer consumers toward more sustainable food choices.
• Targeted strategies are needed to raise awareness about the environmental impact of specific foods, like beef.
• Leveraging behavioral nudges in food service settings can promote widespread adoption of eco-friendly diets.