For the report the Round Table assessed:

• Available communication methods and tools and their strengths and challenges. Both product- (e.g. certification schemes, ISO labels, environmental footprint information) and organisation-related information (e.g. company specific commitments, sustainability partnerships) were evaluated.
• Where and how to communicate, at the point of sale (e.g. on-pack, on shelf, price-terminal), close to the point of sale (e.g. leaflets and receipts) and finally beyond the point of sale (e.g. public relations, media and marketing campaigns).

The report presents a guide and examples for the effective communication of environmental information when using different communication tools. Communicating environmental information was found to be best achieved using a multifaceted approach and tools. These help:

• to raise awareness amongst consumers and food chain partners to environmental aspects of products and services
• to increase their familiarity and understanding of environmental performance
• to help inform their purchase decisions and support more sustainable choices

Moving forward, the Round Table believes that solid consumer research needs to be undertaken to gather evidence on consumer understanding and their reaction to environmental communication on food and drink products in order to enable consumers to make informed choices. The full report can be found on the website of the European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production Roundtable at: www.food-scp.eu/