Mitigating impacts of food production and consumption on climate change: Applications of behavioral economics

Abstract

Food consumption and production have been identified as significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Individual and producer behaviors are critical in making emission-reducing consumption choices and implementing agricultural conservation practices. Using a narrative review approach, this research examined over 100 publications and evaluated behavioral and experimental interventions in consumers' food choices and producers' agricultural conservation decisions. We identify several areas where there is mixed evidence and knowledge gaps. We evaluate these gaps using a framework we devised called CREDIBLE. This systematic framework provides a practical checklist for policymakers and academics to evaluate if their interventions meet critical factors before rolling out large-scale behavioral interventions. The main criteria to evaluate interventions, as proposed by our framework, are as follows: cost-effectiveness, replicability, evidence-based, durability, identity-respecting, boomerang minimizing, logistical feasibility, and respect for ethics.