Carbon Neutral Digestive Initiative (CANDI) SEI report

The CANDI project's first stage identified a need for standardized carbon footprint calculation models in the food industry to build consumer trust and drive behavioral change. While consumers expressed a willingness to alter food choices based on environmental data, the report highlights that such information must be easily digestible and provided at the point of decision-making. The project also notes a lack of transparency in industry methods and a need for government support to manage the socio-economic trade-offs of transitioning to sustainable diets.

• There is a significant gap in how carbon footprints for food are calculated, with a lack of standardized methods and transparency regarding assumptions and indicators. This inconsistency can lead to different results for the same product, which confuses consumers and reduces trust in the data.
• Consumers indicated a willingness to change their food choices if provided with environmental impact information, provided that the data is easy to understand and delivered at the moment of purchase or other key decision-making points to foster long-term learning.
• Current industry systems are unable to trace specific ingredients throughout the supply chain, meaning carbon footprints are typically calculated as averages rather than for specific brands.
• While retailers and restaurants collect customer purchase data via apps, it is unclear if this data is being used to encourage sustainable behavioral changes or primarily for advertising and trend adaptation.
• Transitioning to sustainable diets, such as those proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, may present socio-economic challenges, including potential unaffordability for low-income groups and negative impacts on industry stakeholders.
• The Swedish government could facilitate a dietary shift through procurement legislation, social programs in workplaces and schools, and by supporting the industry in sourcing sustainable products.

APA

Vanhuyse, F., Dawkins, E., Ran, Y., van den Broek, A., Eriksson, A., Wirseen, C., Fredriksson, M., & Wolff, S. (2019). Carbon Neutral Digestive Initiative (CANDI) SEI report. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/carbon-neutral-digestive-initiative-candi-sei-report.pdf

Chicago

Vanhuyse, Fedra, Elena Dawkins, Ylva Ran, Ariane van den Broek, Aina Eriksson, Cecilia Wirseen, Morgan Fredriksson, and Sibel Wolff. Carbon Neutral Digestive Initiative (CANDI) SEI report. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/carbon-neutral-digestive-initiative-candi-sei-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{vanhuyse2019carbon, author = {Vanhuyse, Fedra and Dawkins, Elena and Ran, Ylva and van den Broek, Ariane and Eriksson, Aina and Wirseen, Cecilia and Fredriksson, Morgan and Wolff, Sibel}, title = {{Carbon Neutral Digestive Initiative (CANDI) SEI report}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/carbon-neutral-digestive-initiative-candi-sei-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }