Webinar Recap: Understanding What Shapes Sustainable Consumer Behaviour

On January 13th, 2026, CUES hosted the webinar “Understanding What Shapes Sustainable Consumer Behaviour”, bringing together eight European research projects to explore the complexity of sustainable food consumption from multiple perspectives.

Sustainable food choices are often seen as a matter of individual decision-making. However, the webinar highlighted that consumer behaviour is influenced by a broader set of factors, including the information available, the environments in which choices are made, trust in food systems, and how sustainability is communicated and experienced.

Throughout the session, participants explored insights on:

• Consumer intentions, motivations, and diversity
• The role of transparency, traceability, and digital technologies in food systems
• How digital and media environments shape perceptions of sustainability
• Behavioural interventions and innovative methods that support sustainable choices in practice

The CUES project provides an overarching framework, focusing on how sustainable behaviour emerges at the intersection of consumer understanding, food value chain practices, and policy frameworks. The project emphasizes enabling environments rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals.

Each presenting project contributed 10-minute insights, followed by discussion and questions. Key takeaways from the webinar include:

• Sustainable consumer behaviour is shaped by interactions between consumer perceptions, communication environments, technological infrastructures, food system practices, and policy contexts.
• Consumers increasingly seek transparency, trust, and meaningful sustainability information.
• Digital and technological solutions can support transparency when they are accessible, credible, and relevant.
• Effective sustainability communication must reflect the diversity of consumer needs, expectations, and constraints.
• Lasting change requires coherence across culture, markets, and policy frameworks, not fragmented actions.

The webinar highlighted the importance of moving beyond awareness alone and creating environments that actively support sustainable choices in everyday life.

The session featured presentations from the ALLIANCE, CUES, ROSETTA, TealHelix, INFOODMATION, SEA2SEE, FishEUTrust, and TITAN projects, each providing unique insights into consumer behaviour and sustainability.

The whole session has been recorded and uploaded on our YouTube channel.

CUES thanks all speakers and participants for their contributions and engagement, and looks forward to continuing this dialogue in future events!