Abstract
Eco-labels have become commonplace instruments of self-regulation. This paper analyzes five food labels with respect to the reliability of their information. A new method to analyze reliability is developed. For each label, four aspects are examined: (1) mention of biodiversity; (2) reference to rule of law to assure buyers’ confidence; (3) notification of farmers’ compliance; and (4) information on ecological impact. The analysis reveals that eco-labels fail to communicate adequately; they do not diminish the information gap between seller and buyer. The main shortcomings of the eco-labels were found in their ambiguity about environmental themes, their failure to assure the buyer about the product's ecological impact, the insufficient information about producers’ compliance, and presence of recommendations.
| Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 263-276 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Cleaner Production |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |