As part of the ROSETTA Community of Practice interview series, we’re highlighting individuals who are cultivating sustainable change within Europe’s food systems. For this Roots to Resilience feature, we introduce Magda Karpińska, a socially engaged media manager at Karmnik—a local retail network in Poland’s Mazovia region. Magda oversees e-commerce, manages three stores, and handles supplier and customer relations, marketing, and day-to-day operations, all while shaping a more sustainable and resilient food ecosystem. Through her role as president of the Węgrów–Miasto–Wieś Foundation, she promotes educational projects and supports sustainable impact initiatives, aligning consumer awareness with the principles of seasonality, locality, and low-impact consumption.
Below, Magda shares her insights on how consumer behavior influences retail sustainability, how retailers can reduce waste and what marketing strategies best promote high-quality local food.
Q&A with Magda Karpińska
1) How does consumer behavior influence the retail side of the food industry, particularly when it comes to sustainability?
Consumer behavior sets the tone for retail. When shoppers choose locally sourced, high-quality, artisanal, or organic products, they strengthen retailers like Karmnik. Simple actions—such as returning glass packaging or bringing reusable bags—support sustainable development at the store level. Ultimately, the more consumers know about sustainability, the more opportunities emerge for responsible retailers to thrive.
2) How can retailers support the zero-waste movement and reduce food loss?
Retailers can adopt practical measures like careful ordering to avoid overstock, following the FIFO (First-In, First-Out) principle, offering discounts on items nearing expiration, and using apps like Foodsi or Too Good To Go. Partnerships with food-sharing initiatives or local organizations that process surplus produce are also crucial. For instance, Karmnik introduced “vegetable weekends,” receiving fresh produce every Friday and sending any unsold leftovers by Monday to a social cooperative. The cooperative then transformed this surplus into vegetable ragout, which returned to Karmnik’s shelves in jars a few days later—closing the loop between farm, store, and table.
3) What marketing strategies best promote sustainable, high-quality local food?
Effective marketing goes beyond product promotion; it’s about education and storytelling. Emphasizing food quality, its positive impact on health, and the broader environmental and economic benefits of buying local is key. Consumers should learn how to read labels, distinguish truly “clean” products, and appreciate the craftsmanship behind local production. This kind of reliable education, combined with highlighting a reduced carbon footprint and the values of the localvore movement, empowers consumers to make informed choices that benefit both themselves and their communities.
Magda Karpińska’s insights underscore the importance of informed consumer choices, efficient resource management and meaningful storytelling in fostering sustainable local food systems. By aligning practical retail solutions with educational outreach, Karmnik and like-minded initiatives are helping to set new standards for resilience, quality and community connection in Europe’s food landscape.
This interview is part of our ongoing Roots to Resilience series, where we spotlight experts and practitioners driving positive change. Keep an eye out for more conversations that reveal how innovative leaders are paving the way for a greener, fairer food future.
