ASSESSING GREENWASHING PRACTICES WITH SPECIAL RELEVANCE TO THE FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the concept of greenwashing and its application in various industries, with a specific focus on the food and beverage industry. A systematic Literature Review (SLR) was carried out to identify Greenwashing Practices (GwP). After reviewing more than 20 papers from the Journal of international repute, the definitions related to GwP were studied. It was established that GwP is an unethical marketing practice. Subsequently, all the definitions were run in the WORDITOUT application (Data mining technique) which clearly highlighted the list of negative words attached to this concept. Furthermore, based on SLR, 10 common GwP were identified across various industries. One of the objectives of this research was to study the GwP in Food & beverage (F&B) industry. Content analysis indicated that 5 GwP are highly common and significantly influence consumer behaviour. Key findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures and greater consumer awareness to mitigate greenwashing's adverse effects. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into greenwashing trends in South Asia, an area with limited prior research.