Drivers and Barriers to the Implementation of Carbon Footprint Labeling on Foods in Canada

Voluntary environmental programs, including ecolabels, can invoke consumer sustainable purchasing behavior. Despite their growing presence in international markets, carbon footprint labels are rare in Canadian food products. The present study was planned to explore the drivers and barriers to implementing carbon footprint labels from the perspectives of NGOs working towards advocating for environmental sustainability and climate change in Canada. The study questionnaire was designed based on previous literature on sustainability, ecolabels, and carbon footprint labels. Opinions of thirteen representatives of environmental NGOs were collected through online survey Google Forms and thematically analyzed. Study findings revealed consumer demand; manufacturers' desire to follow the global sustainability trends and promote a green image of manufacturing firms as potential drivers for adopting carbon footprint labeling. The barriers identified by the study are manufacturers' preference for profiting, the excessive cost of investment required for following the labeling scheme, the voluntary status of the carbon footprint labels, and less support from the government sector. The drivers and barriers identified through this study can be helpful for policymakers and manufacturers in formulating strategies for adopting carbon footprint labeling.