Towards an ethical chocolate supply chain
Matching Swiss consumer preferences with policy instruments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22355772 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Max Rudolf (0009-0000-4597-8887, University of Bern, corresponding author), Roland Olschewski (0000-0002-3027-2897, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Pages | 100376 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cleaner and Responsible Consumption (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-7843 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100376 |
| OpenAlex | W7115921395 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 99 |
The chocolate supply chain exemplifies the social and environmental challenges within global food systems. Growing awareness of environmental impact and ethical production practices is increasingly shaping consumer choices and influencing food policy. This highlights the need for an integrated approach to determine consumption preferences and policy support. A discrete choice experiment with Swiss citizens (N = 1102), analyzed through a latent class model, reveals two consumer segments: an ’ethical-conscious’ segment (72%) and a ’price-sensitive’ segment (28%). Both favor policy instruments to (1) prioritize small- and medium-sized enterprises within the chocolate supply chain, (2) reduce deforestation, and (3) support chocolate production in Switzerland. However, the ’ethical-conscious’ segment, predominantly younger and more aware of social and environmental impacts, tends to support regulatory, persuasive and cooperative policy instruments, while the ’price-sensitive’ segment shows no strong opposition. These findings provide critical insights for policymakers seeking to promote a more ethical chocolate supply chain. This study moves beyond preference elicitation, by matching consumption preferences with a set of policy measures
Consumer choice · Latent class model · Preference · Supply chain · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Organic Food and Agriculture
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |