Drivers, Barriers, and Innovations in Sustainable Food Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
3. Methodology
- Identification—Records were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases using targeted keywords.
- Screening—Titles and abstracts were reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
- Eligibility Assessment—Full-text articles were evaluated to ensure relevance.
- Final Inclusion—Studies that met all criteria were incorporated into the review.
- “sustainable food consumption” AND “motivations*”;
- “sustainable food consumption” AND “barriers*”;
- “sustainable food consumption” AND “technology”;
- “corporate responsibility” AND “sustainable food systems”.
- Abstract clarity (+1 point);
- DOI availability (+1 point);
- Peer-review status (+1 point);
- Clear methodology (+1 point);
- Clearly defined objectives (+1 point).
- Identifying key topics of interest;
- Analyzing temporal trends;
- Exploring thematic co-occurrences.
- Literature organization in Zotero
- ○
- Motivations (n = 26)—Consumer drivers and incentives;
- ○
- Barriers (n = 36)—Obstacles and limitations;
- ○
- Technology (n = 15)—Digital solutions and innovations;
- ○
- Corporate Initiatives (n = 8)—Business strategies and programs;
- ○
- Computational Analysis (Adobe AI and Python-Based Pipeline).
- Data extraction via Zotero API
- ○
- Automated text and pattern analysis;
- ○
- Statistical trend identification and relationship mapping;
- ○
- Generation of visual representations.
- Results, Visualization, and Interpretation
- ○
- Thematic mapping to illustrate key research themes;
- ○
- Temporal trend visualization to track changes over time;
- ○
- Comparative analysis across study collections;
- ○
- Cross-theme pattern identification.
4. Results
4.1. Motivation in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.1.1. Recurring and Co-Occurring Categories of Motivation in Sustainable Food Consumption
Theme | Description | Co-Occurring Themes | Examples from Studies |
---|---|---|---|
Health Concerns | Perceived health benefits, safety, and nutrition | Quality, safety, nutritional value | [38,39,40,41] |
Environmental Awareness | Desire to reduce environmental footprint | Ethical beliefs, support for local economies | [38,39,42,43] |
Ethical and Moral Beliefs | Concerns about animal welfare, social justice | Social norms, altruistic values | [38,44,45,46] |
Social and Personal Norms | Influence of societal expectations and personal values | Social influence, community connection | [38,43,44,48] |
Taste and Quality | Sensory appeal and perceived quality of sustainable food | Health benefits, naturalness | [38,39,42,49] |
Support for Local Economies | Desire to support local farmers and economies | Environmental concerns, social Responsibility | [42,49,50] |
Knowledge and Awareness | Understanding the impact of food choices on sustainability | Education, personal experiences | [38,46] |
Religious and Cultural Factors | Influence of religious beliefs and cultural practices | Health, ethical considerations | [38,41] |
Emotional and Psychological Fulfillment | Emotional satisfaction and sense of accomplishment | Personal well-being, social connections | [40,50] |
Economic and Practical Considerations | Affordability and practical aspects of purchasing sustainable products | Perceived behavioral control, economic status | [43,46] |
4.1.2. Temporal Analysis of the Evolutions of Various Motivations
4.1.3. An In-Depth Examination of Drivers Behind Sustainable Food Consumption
4.2. Barriers in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.2.1. Recurring Categories of Barriers in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.2.2. Temporal Analysis of the Evolutions of Various Barriers
4.2.3. In-Depth Analysis of Barriers to Sustainable Food Consumption
4.3. Technologies in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.3.1. Recurring Themes and Categories of Technologies in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.3.2. Temporal Evolution of Technology Categories in Sustainable Consumption
4.3.3. In-Depth Analysis of Sustainable Food Consumption Technologies
4.4. Corporative Initiatives in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.4.1. Recurring Themes and Categories of Corporate Initiatives in Sustainable Food Consumption
4.4.2. Temporal Evolution of Corporate Initiatives Categories in Sustainable Consumption
4.4.3. In-Depth Analysis of Sustainable Food Corporate Initiatives
4.5. Bibliometric Analysis and Research Clusters
5. Discussion
- Subsidize sustainable food options to make them affordable;
- Expand accessibility by ensuring mainstream market availability;
- Enforce transparency in food labeling to prevent green washing;
- Leverage technology to empower informed consumer choices;
- Hold corporations accountable through global regulatory frameworks.
6. Contributions, Limits of the Study and Recommendations
6.1. Contributions of the Study
- Longitudinal impact of interventions to track behavioral shifts over time;
- The role of digital solutions and AI in overcoming awareness and accessibility barriers;
- Cultural adaptation of sustainability strategies to ensure their effectiveness across diverse populations.
- Role of AI and automation in driving corporate sustainability;
- How can digital solutions enhance consumer engagement in sustainability?;
- Longitudinal impact of corporate policies on consumer behavior.
6.2. Methodological Limitations of the Analysis
6.3. Future Research Direction and Recommendations
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Theme | Frequency | Example Studies |
---|---|---|
Health Concerns | 20 | [38,39,40,41] |
Environmental Awareness | 19 | [38,39,42,43] |
Ethical and Moral Beliefs | 15 | [38,44,45,46] |
Social and Personal Norms | 12 | [38,43,44,48] |
Taste and Quality | 14 | [38,39,42,49] |
Support for Local Economies | 10 | [42,49,50] |
Knowledge and Awareness | 8 | [38,46] |
Religious and Cultural Factors | 5 | [38,41] |
Emotional and Psychological Fulfillment | 6 | [40,50] |
Economic and Practical Considerations | 7 | [43,46] |
Categories of Barriers | Specific Barriers | Co-Occurrence of Categories | Example of Articles |
---|---|---|---|
Economic | High prices, reduced willingness to pay, financial constraints | Economic, availability, knowledge | [51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86] |
Availability | Lack of availability, limited variety, unavailability | Availability, economic, knowledge | [55,58,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90] |
Knowledge | Lack of awareness, insufficient information, misunderstanding | Knowledge, economic, availability | [51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86] |
Social and Cultural | Family influence, cultural traditions, social norms | Social and cultural, economic, knowledge | [53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86] |
Psychological | Resistance to change, skepticism, emotional attachment | Psychological, economic, knowledge | [8,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86] |
Policy and Regulation | Lack of support, policy fragmentation, bureaucratic difficulties | Policy and regulation, economic, knowledge | [59,60,63,65,66,67,74,75,82,85] |
Specific Barrier | Frequency | Example Articles |
---|---|---|
High price | 18 | [51,52,53,54] |
Lack of availability | 14 | [51,58,63] |
Lack of knowledge/awareness | 16 | [52,61,65] |
Consumer resistance/skepticism | 10 | [51,76,78] |
Habitual behavior | 8 | [53,70,72] |
Cultural and social norms | 12 | [56,63,64] |
Distrust in Labels/Certifications | 7 | [59,76,78] |
Perceived quality/taste | 6 | [59,67,68] |
Lack of information | 9 | [53,65,71] |
Psychological barriers | 5 | [51,70,76] |
Economic and marketing factors | 6 | [54,62,63] |
Functional barriers | 4 | [51,57,73] |
Family influence | 5 | [53,64,70] |
Environmental and physical context | 4 | [54,63,65] |
Lack of unified policy/regulation | 4 | [60,63,65] |
Food safety concerns | 3 | [64,65,76] |
Lack of motivation | 3 | [67,70,73] |
Miscommunication | 2 | [54,63] |
Lack of transparent information | 3 | [63,65,74] |
Greenwashing | 2 | [74,76] |
Lack of collaboration | 2 | [63,65] |
Lack of environmental education | 2 | [65,80] |
Lack of economies of scale | 1 | [65] |
Lack of standards and benchmarking | 1 | [65] |
Distrust in labels | 1 | [67] |
Lack of state support | 1 | [82] |
Low yields and high production costs | 1 | [82] |
Bureaucratic and administrative difficulties | 1 | [82] |
Digital exclusion | 1 | [79] |
Technical complexity | 1 | [79] |
Data security concerns | 1 | [79] |
Training and adoption challenges | 1 | [79] |
Resistance to change | 1 | [79] |
Economic disparities | 1 | [79] |
Lack of time | 1 | [71] |
Perceived environmental impact | 1 | [71] |
Lack of sense of responsibility | 1 | [85] |
Contextual and social factors | 1 | [85] |
Sourcing aspects | 1 | [85] |
Shopping behaviors and meal planning trends | 1 | [86] |
Insufficient information campaigns | 1 | [86] |
Year | High Price | Lack of Availability | Lack of Knowledge/Awareness | Consumer Resistance/Skepticism | Habitual Behavior | Cultural and Social Norms | Distrust in Labels/Certifications | Perceived Quality/Taste | Lack of Information | Psychological Barriers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2024 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Categories of Technologies | Specific Technology | Example of Article |
---|---|---|
Alternative Proteins | Plant-based alternative protein (PBM/S), lab-grown meat/seafood (CBM/S) | [76] |
Dairy Alternatives | Precision fermented dairy products (PFDs) | [76] |
Decontamination | Cold plasma and ultrasound, mycotoxin decontamination, ozone | [88,89] |
Preservation | Essential oils (EOs), emerging technologies (ETs) | [90] |
Digital Platforms | Meal box schemes and online food shopping | [91] |
Food Literacy | Food production technologies, storage, transport and processing technologies, Transparency and traceability in the supply chain | [92] |
Smart Technologies | AI and GPS, 3D printing | [93] |
Digital Transformation | Smart refrigerators and apps | [93] |
Digital Technologies | AI, big data, IoT, cloud computing, monitoring and managing supply chains | [79] |
Waste Management | Mobile applications, digital platforms, IoT systems, lean management techniques, food surplus management, demand analysis and waste forecasting | [94] |
Smart Systems | AI, smart shopping assistants | [95] |
Educational Tools | VR and mobile technologies | [95] |
Smart Gardening | Smart gardening systems and chemical test kits | [95] |
Traceability | Blockchain | [96] |
ICT | Information and communication technologies (ICT), ICT innovations, ICT platforms | [97,98] |
Digital Platforms | Online platforms and social media | [99] |
Traceability | IoT and blockchain | [98] |
Mobile Apps | Mobile apps | [98] |
Categories of Technologies | Frequency of Appearance | Specific Technology |
---|---|---|
Alternative Proteins | 2 | Plant-based alternative protein (PBM/S), lab-grown meat/seafood (CBM/S) |
Dairy Alternatives | 1 | Precision fermented dairy products (PFDs) |
Decontamination | 3 | Cold plasma and ultrasound, mycotoxin decontamination, ozone |
Preservation | 2 | Essential oils (EOs), emerging technologies (ETs) |
Digital Platforms | 2 | Meal box schemes and online food shopping, online platforms and social media |
Food Literacy | 3 | Food production technologies, storage, transport and processing technologies, transparency and traceability in the supply chain |
Smart Technologies | 2 | AI and GPS, 3D printing |
Digital Transformation | 1 | Smart refrigerators and apps |
Digital Technologies | 2 | AI, big data, IoT, cloud computing, monitoring and managing supply chains |
Waste Management | 4 | Mobile applications, digital platforms, IoT systems, lean management techniques, food surplus management, demand analysis and waste forecasting |
Smart Systems | 2 | AI, smart shopping assistants |
Educational Tools | 1 | VR and mobile technologies |
Smart Gardening | 1 | Smart gardening systems and chemical test kits |
Traceability | 2 | Blockchain, IoT, and blockchain |
ICT | 3 | Information and communication technologies (ICT), ICT innovations, ICT platforms |
Category of Corporate Initiatives | Frequency | Specific Initiatives |
---|---|---|
Consumer Education and Awareness | 1 | Educating consumers about sustainable products |
Product Availability and Diversity | 1 | Improving availability and variety of sustainable products |
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | 3 | Adopting CSR measures, reducing carbon footprint, fair labor practices |
Promotion and Marketing | 1 | Offering discounts, awareness campaigns for organic products |
Labeling and Certification | 2 | Supporting certification programs |
Fairtrade and Ethical Trade | 1 | Promoting fair trade, ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions |
Environmental Policies and Practices | 1 | Addressing climate change, promoting organic/local/seasonal foods, minimizing food waste |
Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Development | 1 | Engaging stakeholders, developing food safety strategies |
Category | CSR | Promotion and Marketing | Labeling and Certification | Consumer Education | Product Availability and Diversity | Fairtrade and Ethical Trade | Green Product Lines | Environmental Policies | Stakeholder Engagement |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CSR | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Promotion and Marketing | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Labeling and Certification | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consumer Education | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Product Availability and Diversity | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fairtrade and Ethical Trade | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Green Product Lines | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Environmental Policies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Stakeholder Engagement | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Year | Category of Corporate Initiatives | Specific Initiatives |
---|---|---|
2015 | Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | Adopting CSR measures, reducing carbon footprint, fair labor practices |
2015 | Promotion and Marketing | Offering discounts, awareness campaigns for organic products |
2015 | Labeling and Certification | Supporting certification programs |
2015 | Environmental Policies and Practices | Addressing climate change, promoting organic/local/seasonal foods, minimizing food waste |
2016 | Fairtrade and Ethical Trade | Promoting fair trade, ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions |
2018 | Consumer Education and Awareness | Educating consumers about sustainable products |
2018 | Product Availability and Diversity | Improving availability and variety of sustainable products |
2018 | Improving Corporate Skills | Building green procurement intentions and information seeking |
2019 | Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | Engaging in CSR activities, reducing carbon footprint, using sustainable materials |
2019 | Green Product Lines | Development and promotion of organic products |
2019 | Sustainability Certifications | Obtaining certifications to assure sustainability |
2021 | Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | Adopting ethical and sustainable practices, reducing carbon footprint, fair labor practices |
2024 | Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Development | Engaging stakeholders, developing food safety strategies |
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Share and Cite
Nichifor, B.; Zait, L.; Timiras, L. Drivers, Barriers, and Innovations in Sustainable Food Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2025, 17, 2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052233
Nichifor B, Zait L, Timiras L. Drivers, Barriers, and Innovations in Sustainable Food Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability. 2025; 17(5):2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052233
Chicago/Turabian StyleNichifor, Bogdan, Luminita Zait, and Laura Timiras. 2025. "Drivers, Barriers, and Innovations in Sustainable Food Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review" Sustainability 17, no. 5: 2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052233
APA StyleNichifor, B., Zait, L., & Timiras, L. (2025). Drivers, Barriers, and Innovations in Sustainable Food Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 17(5), 2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052233