MCCHE Convergent Innovation Webinar Series with Mikael Fogelholm
Consumer Food Expenditure and Diet Equity: Insights from Loyalty Card Data
Mikael Fogelholm
Professor in Public Health Nutrition at the University of Helsinki
Abstract
In a joint research project between the University of Helsinki (public health nutrition) and Tampere University (biostatistics, marketing research), we have received consent to use a 2.3-y (Sept 2016 to Dec 2018) and 6-y (Jan 2019 to Dec 2024) grocery purchase data from > 40,000 individual loyalty cards from all over Finland. About 38,000 cardholders have also answered to an online questionnaire, with questions related to e.g. socio-demographic background, nutrition literacy and food-selection motives. Compared to traditional diet assessment methods, one specific feature on using loyalty cards is that you get the actual price paid for each purchase. We have used this to assess the total expenditure of different dietary patterns (1), distribution of expenditure of different food groups within all food purchases (2), the relationships between household income adequacy and expenditure within 17 main food groups (3), and price sensitivity of animal vs. plant-based protein sources (4). Our main interest has been to get an insight on affordability of a sustainable diet in relation to socio-economic status. The analyses also raise awareness of what we still don鈥檛 understand about food taxation as a method to steer consumption.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Convergent Innovation Webinar Series features cutting edge science, technology and innovation in agriculture, food, environment, education, medicine and other domains of everyday life where grand challenges lie at the convergence of health and economics. Powered by data science, artificial intelligence, and other digital technologies, this disciplinary knowledge bridges with behavioural, social, humanities, business, economics, social, engineering, and complexity sciences to accelerate real-world solution at scale, be it in digital or physical contexts. Initiated in the agri-food domain, the series is now encompassing other grand challenges facing modern and traditional economies and societies, such as ensuring lifelong wellness and resilience at both the individual and population levels.
