The results section is structured around the two main objectives of this review. First, we will outline the scope and volume of current evidence on the relationship between the digital food environment and consumers’ sustainable food outcomes. Second, we will map the attributes of the digital food environment that shape consumers’ sustainable food outcomes.
Volume and scope of current evidence
As evidenced in Fig. 2, publications focusing on the relationship between the digital food environment and sustainable food outcomes have been on an upward trend since 2014. This trend becomes especially pronounced from 2020 onwards and reaches its highest point so far in 2022.
Fig. 2
Number of studies published between January 2014 and October 2024
As demonstrated in Fig. 3, the greater part of research in our sample (46.9% %; n = 30) was conducted in, what the World Bank Group [22] categorises as high-income countries, such as the Netherlands (n = 6). Additionally, about 39.1% of studies (n = 25) were performed in middle-income countries, such as China (n = 14). There were no low-income countries represented in the sample.
Fig. 3
Countries in which studies were performed
The majority of the identified studies were quantitative, including surveys (n = 29; 48.3%), experiments (n = 21; 35%), and observational studies (n = 2; 3.3%). Qualitative studies, such as interviews (n = 3; 5%) and focus groups (n = 2; 3.3%), were less common. Regarding socio-demographic characteristics, we found that, of those studies that reported the age of their samples (n = 52), the vast majority (98%, n = 51) focused on the general adult population. Only one paper specifically targeted children, and none focused exclusively on teenagers or older individuals. Additionally, an analysis of studies that reported their samples’ gender (n = 54) and educational level (n = 41) revealed that women and individuals with higher education (obtained or currently achieving a college degree) were more represented Footnote 1 compared to men and individuals with lower education. On average women made out 57% of the samples and people with higher education 73.8%. Less than half of the eligible studies (n = 25) provided some sort of metric (e.g., social class, monthly income, yearly income) to represent their sample’s socio-economic status. However, substantial variation in metrics across studies limited the ability to draw general conclusions.
Attributes of the digital food environment
In total we identified 86 digital attributes across five types of digital media. The following section outlines the digital attributes identified in our sample, organised by different digital media, beginning with the most frequently cited (e-commerce) and ending with the least mentioned (blockchain). Table 2 gives an overview of the different attribute groups and their reoccurrence in the sample. A summary of all included studies, detailing their design, year of publication, medium examined, and the digital attributes mentioned, is provided in the supplementary materials.
Table 2 Overview of attributes groups and their reoccurrence in the sampleE-commerce
In total, 33 studies (57.9% of the sample) examined attributes related to e-commerce. We classified studies as e-commerce-related if they investigated digital attributes of platforms used to buy or sell food online (e.g., a supermarket’s online store or a food ordering app).
We divided e-commerce attributes into two categories: those relating to message strategies and those pertaining to platform characteristics. Message strategies refer to the style and content of communication used on food e-commerce platforms, while platform characteristics relate to the technical and structural features of these platforms.
Attributes of e-commerce platform characteristics
Sixteen studies (28.1% of the sample) explored e-commerce message strategy attributes, which refer to the content and style of communication used in food e-commerce settings.
Most of these studies (n = 12) focused on informative message attributes, which involve providing factual information about food products sold or bought on e-commerce platforms. Three qualitative studies found that participants felt having access to food product information, such the health benefits or environmental impact of food products, encouraged them to make more sustainable food choices. Additionally, inspirational food content, like meal plans or shopping lists featuring sustainable products, was viewed positively and helped motivate sustainable food behaviours [23,24,25]. Two quantitative studies showed that when participants were shown scores that reflected both the nutritional quality and the environmental impact of food products (nutri and eco-scores), it helped them make more sustainable food choices [26, 27]. Similarly, six quantitative studies found that sharing food sustainability information, such as the environmental impact of food products, improved consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable foods and increased their intention to buy them [28,29,30,31,32,33,34].
Four studies examined normative message strategy attributes, which involve communication that appeals to social norms influencing sustainable food choices. For instance, Berger [35] found that gamified feedback, showing consumers how their food choices compared to others’, encouraged more sustainable decisions. Similarly, sharing information about the sustainability of other consumers’ food purchases led to increased sustainable buying [36]. Personalised comparisons also boosted sustainable choices, but only when combined with recommendation agents (i.e., software suggesting healthier or more sustainable food options) and nutritional or eco-scores [37]. However, one study found that combining nudges, such as prominently placing sustainable foods, emphasising their appeal, and highlighting others’ sustainable food choices, had no significant impact on purchasing behaviour [38].
Attributes of e-commerce platform characteristics
We identified twenty studies (35.1% of the sample) that discussed e-commerce platform characteristics influencing sustainable food outcomes. Platform characteristics refer to the technical and structural features of food e-commerce environments. Across three qualitative studies, consumers indicated that design features, such as tools that visualise food shopping behaviour or allow data corrections (e.g., updating a delivery address), facilitated the adoption of more sustainable food practices [25, 39, 40]. Similarly, five quantitative studies found that certain platform features were linked to more positive attitudes towards sustainable food [41, 42]. For example, media-rich platforms, those that use multiple types of content and provide instant feedback, were linked to better consumer perceptions of sustainable food [43]. Adding features like a comment function also increased purchase intentions [44]. However, simply offering consistent and accurate access to data (e.g., delivery address, correcting order details) on e-commerce platforms did not lead to better sustainable food outcomes [31].
We identified seven studies that mentioned e-commerce platform attributes related to convenience. Convenient e-commerce platform attributes make shopping easier, faster, and more accessible. In two qualitative studies, consumers emphasised convenience as a key factor driving sustainable food behaviour [24, 25]. According to participants, convenience features on e-commerce platforms included time-saving options like saved shopping lists for quick reordering, flexible home delivery, a wide product range, and simple search functions [24, 40, 45]. The importance of convenience was also supported by three quantitative studies, which found that platform usability, ease of browsing, and product accessibility all contributed to more positive attitudes towards sustainable food and the platforms selling these products [31, 41, 46].
Furthermore, three quantitative studies examined e-commerce platform attributes related to overall platform quality. Two studies found that higher system quality improved consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour in relation to sustainable food [47, 48]. Similarly, service quality, the accuracy and usefulness of information provided, and the effectiveness of the platform’s evaluation system were all linked to more favourable consumer attitudes towards sustainable food products [41, 48].
Six studies examined e-commerce platform attributes related to logistics. One quantitative study reported that effective e-commerce logistics can increase purchase intention of sustainable food [42]. Logistics was also featured as a recurring theme in three qualitative studies, where consumers noted that the inability to physically inspect food, limited geographical availability of an e-commerce platform, no-return policies, and inflexible pick-up times, hindered sustainable food behaviours [24, 39, 40]. Conversely, fast delivery was identified in one qualitative study as a driver of sustainable food choices [45]. However, while delivery speed emerged as a motivator in qualitative research, its influence on sustainable food attitudes varied in a quantitative study [48].
Three quantitative studies examined social commerce attributes that can influence sustainable food outcomes. Social commerce is a form of e-commerce in which transactions take place directly on social media platforms [49]. Examples of social commerce include caterers taking orders via WhatsApp Business or bakeries selling cakes through Facebook Marketplace. Social commerce attributes that can support sustainable food outcomes include: influencer endorsements (e.g., influencers promoting organic snacks), interactivity (e.g., Instagram polls about sustainable food), personalised recommendations (e.g., sustainable food suggestions based on previous social media activity), referrals (e.g., an invitation from a friend to follow a sustainable food page), feedback (e.g., customer ratings of sustainable restaurants), navigation design (e.g., filters to find sustainable products), visual appeal (e.g., attractive layouts), and informative value (e.g., details about a food product’s origin and environmental impact) [50,51,52]. However, the relationship between these features and sustainable food outcomes is not always consistent; for instance, reviews and ratings did not reliably affect sustainable food choices.
Three quantitative studies examined e-commerce live broadcasting attributes associated with sustainable food outcomes. E-commerce live broadcasting involves livestreams where food vendors or professional presenters showcase and sell products directly to online viewers [53]. E-commerce live broadcast platform characteristics linked to positive sustainable food behaviours and perceptions include: visibility (e.g., showing sustainable products during the livestream), authenticity (e.g., presenting genuine content), interactivity (e.g., allowing viewers to engage with the host), entertainment (e.g., making the livestream enjoyable), actively selling sustainable products during the stream, high-quality content, and the presence of supporting services [53, 54]. However, authenticity on its own was not found to significantly influence consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable food [55].
Social media
Eighteen studies (31.6% of the total sample) examined social media attributes. Social media refers to online platforms where users create, share, and interact with content and each other. Social media attributes were grouped into three themes: social media marketing attributes, electronic word-of-mouth (e-Wom) and user-generated content (UGC) attributes, and influencer endorsement attributes. Social media marketing is defined here as a form of online marketing that uses social media platforms for promotional purposes. E-Wom refers to the online sharing of opinions, recommendations, and experiences, while user-generated content encompasses any material created by social media users. Influencer endorsement describes instances where social media influencers promote a brand.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing appears to play an important role in shaping sustainable food outcomes. We identified seven studies that examined social media marketing attributes. Four quantitative studies found that social media marketing was associated with increased sustainable food purchase and more positive perceptions of sustainable food [41, 56, 57]. These effects were particularly evident when the content was informative and interactive. In contrast, customised social media marketing content showed no measurable impact on sustainable food outcomes [58].
Findings from three qualitative studies also supported the influence of social media marketing. Consumers described it as a key driver of their sustainable food purchases, viewing such content as a valuable way to build trust in sustainable products [59]. Two studies noted that trust was strengthened when social media marketing messages emphasised transparent production standards (e.g., low-carbon farming methods) and the legitimacy of the supply chain (e.g., verified suppliers, traceable product origins) [60, 61].
User-generated content and electronic word-of-mouth
Eight studies in our sample highlighted user-generated content (UGC) and electronic word-of-mouth (e-Wom) as important factors influencing sustainable food outcomes. E-Wom refers to the online sharing of opinions, recommendations, and experiences about sustainable food. Consumers who engaged in e-WOM tended to hold more positive attitudes towards sustainable food, although this did not necessarily translate into higher purchase intentions [58, 62]. Interestingly, one study found that consumers perceived greater risks when engaging in e-Wom with experts rather than with peers or anonymous users [63]. Positive e-WOM comments, as well as the technical design of the e-WOM platform, were also found to improve perceptions of sustainable food [64, 65].
Two qualitative studies identified UGC, customer-created content shared on social media, as a driver of sustainable food behaviour [24, 66]. However, quantitative findings were more mixed; for example, Koswatta et al. [67] found that non-factual YouTube videos had inconsistent effects on perceptions of sustainable food.
Influencer endorsements
Influencer endorsement was highlighted in five studies as an important factor influencing sustainable food outcomes. For example, the qualitative study of Choudhary et al. [66] found that consumers viewed online influencers as role models who helped shape their adoption of sustainable food behaviours. Quantitative research further supported the impact of influencer endorsement on sustainable food choices [68]. One study showed that influencers’ self-disclosure (i.e., sharing their own sustainable food experiences) increased positive attitudes towards sustainable food [69]. Additionally, factors such as parasocial interactions (i.e., the sense of a personal connection consumers feel with influencers), active audience participation, the perceived benevolence of influencers, and how well the influencer’s image matched the product, all contributed to stronger intentions to purchase sustainable food products [70, 71].
Other media
The following section outlines three less frequently examined types of digital media: apps, documentaries, and blockchain.
Apps as sustainable food guides
Two quantitative studies found that apps designed as sustainable food guides positively influenced sustainable food outcomes. Key app features such as fast performance, relevant content, customisation options, and the availability of sufficient information, all improved consumers’ perceptions of these apps [72]. Additionally, providing basic eco-rankings of products within an app helped reduce consumers’ uncertainty when making choices and encouraged more sustainable food decisions [73]. However, more detailed eco-rankings only increased sustainable choices when the information was consistent and consumers did not have to make difficult trade-offs. In a qualitative study by Vos et al. [24], consumers suggested that adding a filter function to sustainable food apps could further enhance their usefulness.
Documentaries
Three quantitative studies in our sample found that a documentary with a sustainability theme could increase sustainable food outcomes [74,75,76] while reducing unsustainable food outcomes [77].
Blockchain
Two quantitative studies investigated blockchain attributes. A blockchain-based food traceability system, a method that tracks a product’s journey from its origin to the consumer, was associated with positive sustainable food outcomes, including increased trust and purchase intention [78, 79]. Furthermore, both this traceability system and blockchain-enabled transparency, which involves the clear and open sharing of information about the product and its supply chain, were found to enhance consumers’ intention to buy sustainable products [78].