Omar Guadarrama, PhD in Sustainability
In the food sector, there are labels and certifications that give value and information about food. But do they really affect consumption decisions? At CREDA, we have been studying the behaviour and purchasing attitude of consumers for years and the effects that certain distinctive signs can have on their decisions.
Omar Guadarrama, PhD in Sustainability and the centre’s expert on this topic, finds that food labelling “is a fundamental part, as important or more so than the food itself“. For him, “the label is the product’s identity card“, since it is where the legal obligations such as the brand and the ingredients are indicated, but it also collects “additional information including some of the certification stamps“, he assures.
Attractive, clear and concise information
There is no single recipe that determines the amount of necessary information that must accompany the products to meet the requirements of consumers and consumers and not saturate.
Although the goal is to inform clearly and briefly, many times companies add so many details and stamps to their labels that people pass by and are not interested. According to Guadarrama, “this happens because the moment of decision to buy a food usually lasts a few seconds, even when it comes to new products“.
Perhaps a solution would be to add “the necessary and mandatory information that makes reading much easier“, together with the certification logos, “since they generate trust among all people, producers, processors and consumers“, remarks the doctor.
Certifications in Europa
Unlike labels, certifications do not provide basic information, but guarantee that a product meets a series of requirements. Guadarrama emphasizes that “the list of aspects to be certified is very extensive“, as it can be taken into account “the techniques and forms of production, the materials and conditions of transformation and packaging, the innocuousness and safety of food, etc“.
There are currently two main types of certification in Europe, private and public. The first can be promoted by companies, associations or individuals, with the aim of highlighting quality (ISO certification), promoting the protection and sustainability of certain areas (rainforest), or highlighting characteristics (product of the year).
Regarding the public certifications, the doctor explains that they are divided according to the production systems, “where it stands out if they are ecological products, that is to say, that synthetic chemical products are not used to produce the food, plants and animals ”, and the origin of the products or recipes.
In the case of provenance, in Europe there are three stamps that certify it: (1) Denomination of Protected Origin (PDO); (2) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI); and (3) Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (ETG). All could be included under the umbrella of Geographical Indication, but “each seal has evolved towards key characteristics for protection“, Guadarrama assures.
It protects an area or region where the entire process is carried out, from the obtaining of livestock or seeds, to the processing and packaging of the final product, including the breeding of animals and the cultivation of vegetables. It is the maximum protection of the European Union and is rooted in tradition.
It protects an area or region, but it focuses on priority and essential phases for the reputation of a product, therefore, it allows seeds and livestock to come from other areas than the protected one. The transformation and packaging, however, must be done in this region.
It protects a recipe, that is to say, in order to achieve certification, the requirements associated with the shape, size, basic ingredients and the preparation procedure must be met.
Protection of Catalan origin
According to the Departament d’Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural (DACC), Catalonia has a total of 23 certifications of origin: 12 DOP, 10 IGP and 1 ETG.
Some of the most well-known are the cheese and butter from Alt Urgell and Cerdanya, which are made solely with milk from Frisian cows born, fed and milked in these regions; and the IGP Calçot de Valls, which guarantees cultivation in the districts of Baix Camp, Alt Camp, Tarragonès and Baix Penedès, but the seed can come from other regions.
The doctor acknowledges that “the world of labelling and certifications of origin is deeply rooted in culture and tradition“, which is why other countries or regions also have their own stamps “like France the ‘Label Rouge’ or Catalonia the ‘Marca Q'”. In addition, the Catalan territory tries to promote the purchase of local products through the inclusion of the ‘Venda Directa’ i ‘Circuit curt’ stamps.
Initiatives to promote local consumption
‘Proximity Fig Jam’ is a project promoted by CREDA in which Guadarrama participates together with Zein Kallas, researcher, and Adrià Menéndez i Molist, PhD student. This initiative analyses the impact of the two proximity certifications on consumers in Catalonia.
The studies show that since their creation, in 2013, both seals have had their place in the Catalan agri-food chain, making certified products more accepted by consumers. However, the doctor emphasizes that “many more producers could join to promote other local products“.
Apart from this initiative, CREDA participates in two more projects, the ‘PDO/IGP Strategic Plan’ which aims to create a document that serves as a guide for the analysis of the sustainability of certifications and their effects; and the ‘GI-Smart’ project which seeks to identify the way to develop sustainable labels of origin in the European area.
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