Summary
This paper investigates consumer scepticism towards third-party sustainability labels in the context of food products, evaluating its role in the formation of the customer’s buying behaviour. A covariance-based structural equation model (CB-SEM) was developed, which includes the customer’s socio-environmental concern, scepticism toward sustainability labels, reported use of the socio-environmental commitment declared by the producer, and purchase behaviour of sustainably-labelled food products. The model was tested on a sample of 311 Italian higher education students, a group of sustainability-conscious consumers. The findings highlight that purchase behaviour is positively influenced by two reciprocally-related variables: socio-environmental concern and the reported use of the socio-environmental commitment declared by the producer. This study provides insights for practitioners and policymakers, highlighting the necessity to reassure consumers about the credibility of third-party sustainability labels and provide them with the instruments needed to distinguish the truth from the fluff in sustainability communication.