Piloting Citizen Science Methods to Measure Perceptions of Carbon Footprint and Energy Content of Food

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

Charles Ffoulkes¹  Stephen Serjeant²  Christian Reynolds³  Astrid Kause⁴  Libby Oakden⁵  Beth Armstrong⁵  Grant Miller⁶  Ximena Schmidt Rivera⁷  Gemma Bridge⁸  Luca A Panzone⁹  Coleman Krawczyk^1,10  Changqiong Wang^1,11 

[1] Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom;0Zooniverse, University of Oxford, Zooniverse, United Kingdom;Center for Food Policy, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom;;Centre for Decision Research &Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom;Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom;Institute of Energy Futures, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom;Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom;School of Natural Science and Environment, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom;Sustainable Food and Farming, Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS), Wolverhampton, United Kingdom;Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom;

关键词: carbon footprint;    methods;    citizen science;    portion size;    energy content;    consumer perception;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fsufs.2020.00120

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

There is a food knowledge disconnect between the food research community, and the general population. Food experts know detailed information about foods, but there is a lack of understanding about what citizens know. Citizen science has been used successfully in various fields however, is virtually absent from food research. This pilot study explores the efficacy of Zooniverse citizen science platform as a method of food citizen research, and assesses the impact of response method, food type, portion size and weight information, on estimates of carbon footprint and energy content. Estimates of the carbon footprint (grams of carbon dioxide equivalent) and energy content (Kcal) of 10 foods were measured in a 3 (Between: Response Method; multiple-choice, slider, text box) × 3 (Within: portion size; small, medium, large) × 2 (Between: weight information; present, absent) observational survey. Citizens (N = ~516, unique IP addresses) were recruited via informal email networks. Kruskal–Wallis and Chi-square analyses compared citizen estimations with validated values, and assessed the impact of the variables on estimations. The majority of carbon footprint and energy content estimates were inaccurate, with citizens typically overestimating values. We observe an unexpected correlation between carbon footprint and energy content estimates. Portion size impacts perceptions, with estimations increasing with larger portion sizes. Weight information impacts perceptions, with estimations of carbon footprint being lower, and estimates of energy content being higher when weight information is present. Input method significantly affects observed values, estimates of carbon footprint and energy content estimates were lowest using the text box, followed by the slider tool, highest estimates were given using multiple choice. Citizens are unable to accurately estimate the carbon footprint and energy content of foods, though citizens may possess understanding of the hierarchy of values. These compelling findings highlight the need for consumer education, with a focus on carbon footprint, to precede interventions intended to move consumers toward more sustainable and healthy diets. We have demonstrated that citizen science can be used to measure food carbon footprint and energy content perceptions, and the slider tool offers greater sensitivity of estimation and functionality than other input methods.

【 授权许可】

Unknown