**10. Conclusion**

It is unacceptable, nowadays, to accept organic food being sold in non-biodegradable packaging, harmful to ecosystems. Maybe this situation would not change until the courts demand it and the government has to step in.

The fact is that there are consumers making a difference by being more demanding and defending environmental preservation. However, although they are gradually increasing and becoming representative groups, they are still a minority. They are not

enough to generate significant changes in the production chain. It is necessary that public, technological, and environmental institutions debate these issues more and more; they affect the food-packaging interaction with the environment.

Thus, it is important that the results of these debates generate informative and educational campaigns, in addition to pressuring the packaging industry to manufacture ecologically correct products, reducing the carbon footprint. Another important point in the present study is the fact that more in-depth research is needed on the role of the consumer in relation to conscious, behavioral, and ecological consumption. Lastly, to show that actions need to be taken right away, consumer society can no longer avoid taking responsibility.

On the other hand, while regulatory and standard-setting bodies are unaware of the importance of requiring organic food producers to use ecological packaging, the generation of domestic waste on the planet resulting from organic production, composed of aluminum, plastic, Styrofoam, and metal, has no end. Incorporating the mandatory use of biodegradable packaging into legislation and certification mechanisms is urgent and necessary. As organic production is based on the preservation of soil and water, it is not acceptable, therefore, its consumption generates polluting domestic waste. At the same time, the role of the consumer in this scenario is fundamental. Being more conscious at the time of purchase, adopting sustainable choice practices, recycling garbage, and demanding biodegradable packaging are necessary and fundamental changes in habits.

The qualitative meta-analysis carried out in this study showed that, although eco-consumers are gradually increasing and becoming a representative group, they are still a minority. For the time being, they are still not enough to generate significant changes in the production chain and to integrate organic production within the circular economy cycle. Therefore, it is necessary that public, technological, environmental institutions, associations, and cooperatives increasingly address these issues and begin to demand specific legislation for the proper use of packaging, especially for certified organic foods.
