Yeliana Yasmin Andara Sangronis.

Through this campaign, the Swedish food company Felix hopes to raise climate awareness and encourage consumers to make responsible buying decisions. Customers are used to costs fluctuating and depending on supply and demand. (Munera, 2021)

(Photo by Bryan Lufkin)

People flock to supermarkets worldwide every year before the Christmas season begins (Wilston, 2017). Scientists have seen a spike in the price of some foods, more specifically, turkeys, which are then sold at a discount after the holidays are over. According to Shaun Allen, Prestigeshe Purchasing’s chief executive, price rises for both turkey and ham could eventually lead to the demand for other meats during this season. Surely, people buy based on factors like brand, or cost, instead of keeping a ‘green’ conscience in mind (Lautiainen, 2015).

Felix

One of Sweden’s most well-known brands has products ranging from tomato ketchup, French fries, vegetarian ready-to-cook meals, and instant mashed potatoes to lingonberry jelly, salad dressings, and more (World Finer Foods). Felix uses the tags “Great Food” as well as “Don’t be concerned” for customers to feel well when using their goods.

Furthermore, it is one of Sweden’s largest food firms. As mentioned before, Felix sells prepared vegetarian meals, jams, salad dressings, and other items. However, research done by Us Europeans has shown that the company’s greatest accomplishment is to have opened the world’s first climate supermarket a few months ago. Here, customers are charged based on their carbon footprint; with this campaign, the organization hopes to raise climate awareness and encourage consumers to more cautious decision-making while considering the impact their choices may have on the environment.

The carbon footprint reflects the net emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) measured as CO2e emitted by companies, the manufacturing of a specific product, or the provision of a service. The climatic supermarket allocated each client a weekly budget of 18.9 kilos of CO2e based on this criterion (Landi, 2020). It is important to note that this was done for customers to be more aware of what they put into their shopping carts and avoid those with the largest carbon footprint. Setting prices in this manner makes the environmental effect of such goods and the significant difference; people are now aware of the foods that contribute more carbon.

Global warming

Climate change effects include extreme weather events, changing wildlife ecosystems and habitats, rising sea levels, and a variety of other factors. All of these changes are occurring as a result of the emission of greenhouse gases into the environment, altering the climate rhythms on which all living beings have come to depend (Nunez, 2019).

According to a report from the University of Oxford, food processing is responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming. Thus, the Swedish company believes that they have important work ahead of them: “to explain the relationship between the goods we eat and their climate effect, and to make it easier for all to recognize the climate impact that different foods around the world have on us.” 

If people were well informed about the high pollution caused by some of the foods they consume, they would make different choices. “It will be exciting to see how customers react to trading with the CO2e currency and see if they manage to stay within their weekly budget,” said Thomas Sjöberg, Felix’s marketing manager. “I think it will be an eye-opener for many to see how certain choices affect what [they] can afford to get in the same lunch bag.”

Additional Carbon Footprint Information

The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) generated by our daily activities is referred to as our carbon footprint (refer to the image below). In the United States, a person’s average carbon footprint is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. On the other hand, the global average is closer to four tons (The Nature Conservancy). Studies conducted by this organization affirm that by 2050, the average global carbon footprint (yearly) must be under 2 tons to have the best chance of preventing a 2°C increase in global temperatures. This will be achieved by making small adjustments to our behavior: eating less meat, taking fewer connecting flights, and line drying our clothing.

Positive Effect.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) conducted a study to determine which foods are the most dangerous, and beef came out on top, followed by lamb meat, butter, and shellfish. Fruit, vegetables, potatoes, olive oil, legumes, cereals, and nuts, on the other hand, are not only healthier but also have a low environmental impact. Therefore, in addition to what this Swedish company is already doing, they are also applying environmental labeling to all of its products. These labels will assist consumers in reducing their intake of goods with a higher environmental impact and increasing their preference for plant-based products. 

Two-thirds of consumers in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States favor the inclusion of carbon footprint labels on goods, according to the international report YouGov 2020, commissioned by the Carbon Trust company. Creating a sustainable food future—feeding the planet while also promoting growth and poverty reduction, as well as mitigating climate change and other environmental damage—presents a complex set of challenges. All in all, the company’s small change is making a big difference for the food industry to turn its future green.

Bibliography:

Business Sweden. (n.d.). Felix. Try Swedish. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from http://www.tryswedish.com/product/felix/

carbonfootprint.com – Home of Carbon Footprinting. (n.d.). Copyright Carbon Footprint Ltd and RADsite Ltd – All Rights Reserved. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from https://www.carbonfootprint.com

Munera, I. (2021, April 7). Llega el súper climático: precios que varían en función de la huella de carbono y etiquetas de colores. ELMUNDO. https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/medio-ambiente/2021/04/07/6048a06cfc6c8381358b47da.html 

Nunez, C. (2021, February 10). What Is Global Warming? Environment. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/global-warming-overviewWhat is your carbon footprint? (n.d.). The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved May 8, 2021, from https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/