This experience raises two key questions that VCA researchers need to consider in the future. The first is “what metrics should be used for shared value and how can we ensure these are consistent for different stakeholders along the chain”? As a diagnostic, the method used by Fearne et al. (2009) employed quantitative data for measuring emissions, but a qualitative approach towards allocating the sources of consumer value along the material flow. Activities were classified as simply those that add value in the eyes of the final consumer; those that are necessary but non value‐adding, and those that are wasteful. This approach could be extended to diagnose the creation of shared value, to highlight where and how shared value is created, especially value from outside the immediate chain. However, this requires clarity over the identification of where shared value is created and the significance thereof, relative to consumer value or customer value. Without this insight, managers may struggle to prioritise improvement projects.