Public perceptions of food’s biodiversity footprints

Food is a major driver of the biodiversity crisis. Therefore, fostering biodiversity-friendly diets is essential for reducing biodiversity loss and restoring nature. However, how accurately the public perceives biodiversity impact of food is unknown. We conducted a preregistered quota-based study with 1,744 citizens from Switzerland to examine public perceptions of food-related biodiversity footprints. Only a minority recognizes how substantially food affects biodiversity. The food-related actions perceived as being the most impactful concern more local, organic, and less animal-based foods. Participants—especially those with high problem awareness—systematically overestimated Switzerland-specific biodiversity footprints. The magnitude of this pattern varies across foods, and only a few high-impact foods (e.g., cocoa, olive oil) are underestimated. We demonstrate that a simple educational intervention can alter perceptions of biodiversity footprints. Although we find no change in the general accuracy of footprint ratings, we observe an improvement in the ability to recognize high-impact foods.