From choice to context: Rethinking food environments, consumer agency and policy action

Abstract

Traditional measures of food environments, such as availability, often center on geographic proximity, but in the digital era, proximity is less of a constraint, as consumers browse thousands of food options online. I extend the concept of availability to include what consumers see when buying food online. Using web-scraped data on food-away-from-home offerings from Uber Eats in Michigan, I map retailer presence, product offerings and prices, linking them to nutritional profiles and carbon emissions. I find that the digital food environment is dominated by nutritionally unbalanced, calory-dense and carbon-intensive options. When choice architecture constrains available options, even individuals with strong health and sustainability preferences are unable to make choices aligned with their dietary goals. As these environments are shaped by supply and demand, dual policy strategies are needed to reform what is offered, promoted and priced.