Feeding a growing world: a scientific journey into the triad of sustainability, food and consumer perceptions

Abstract

The global population expansion poses challenges for food production due to the unsustainable nature of the linear production system within the dimensions of sustainable development. Consequently, there is a global focus on promoting sustainable food production and consumption practices, highlighting the need for research in this field. In this context, the present study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review using Elsevier’s Scopus and Web of Science databases. The study investigated the relationship between sustainability, food, and consumers from a scientific perspective, exploring gaps in knowledge regarding consumer perceptions of sustainably labeled food products. The review results indicate that sustainability presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the global food system. Consumers increasingly value food products with sustainable attributes, such as those certified by reliable labels and quality seals. These, in turn, influence consumer choices and can serve as effective tools for green marketing and education, promoting responsible consumption and encouraging more ecologically aligned food production in line with the Sustainable Development Goals in the food sector. Such actions, combined with consumers’ growing environmental awareness and the adoption of appropriate public policies, can drive the transition toward a more sustainable agroecosystem for food production and consumption.