Process Labeling of Food: Consumer Behavior, the Agricultural Sector, and Policy Recommendations

The simple phrase “You are what you eat” is commonly taught to children and then repeated throughout one’s life. This phrase speaks to the intimate connection between individuals’ food choices and their health— and even their personal identity. Yet most modern consumers rarely grow their own food, which means that what people “are” is a bit out of their control. Given today’s predominantly global food supply chain, consumers have little ability to observe directly Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAST. Process labels can effectively bridge the informational gap between producers and consumers, but such labeling often has serious unintentional consequences. (Background image from Joshua Rainey Photography/Shutterstock; Foreground image from Matthew Cole/Shutterstock [adapted].) the production process that created the food they eat. Consumers are frequently exposed to labels communicating specific processing aspects of food production, such as Certified Organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified, rbST free, Fair Trade, and Free of Genetically Modified Organisms. At the root of this phenomenon are the desires for individual control and a diffuse distrust in the safety and health of the food produced by modern agriculture. These desires are paired with concerns about the ethical, social, and environmental consequences of food production. Under appropriate third-party or governmental oversight, these “process labels” can effectively bridge the informational gap between producers and consumers, satisfy consumer demand for broader and more stringent quality assurance criteria, and ultimately create value for both consumers and producers. Despite these potential benefits, process labeling often has serious unintentional consequences. For instance, labeling the benefits of a process for a Process Labeling of Food: Consumer Behavior, the Agricultural Sector, and Policy Recommendations