Research is paying increasing attention to the consumer side of sustainability efforts, particularly to sustainable food, due to its recognized importance for sustainable development and high level of emissions created by the food sector. It is important to understand how knowledge about sustainable food contributes to shaping consumer attitudes. Mass media for example performs a role of gatekeeper by selecting and disseminating information to raise public awareness of specific issues and can thus shape opinions and people’s behavior. Thus, analyzing how the media selects and presents information is extremely important for understanding consumer behavior in relation to sustainable food. This study investigates the discourse on sustainable food consumption in major national newspapers in four European countries (Italy, Germany, Norway and Romania, which all differ for economic and ecological development) and attempts to answer questions regarding the main issues in sustainable food discourse and any differences among these countries. To do this, the three most influential mainstream national newspapers from each country were selected, conducting a longitudinal study of the articles published in a five-year period. The analysis revealed an evolution of the media debate for four sustainability dimensions (human, society, environment, economy) in all four countries. Results show that despite the differences between the media discourses on sustainable food, there is a common understanding of it across the analyzed countries. The media coverage on the topic should be considered as a useful mean of communicating to the mass and responding to their concerns. For businesses, better understanding of consumers’ perceptions of sustainable food can help to develop marketing and communication strategies, while policymakers can use the media trends to guide public opinion and develop food policies towards a more sustainable direction.
