Spanish Consumers' Commitment towards Sustainable Food Consumption

Year 2022, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 53 - 71, 03.11.2022

Olda Lami Fatma Handan Giray Francisco J.mesias Federico Martinez Carrasco

Abstract

This research analyzes the level of commitment with sustainability of Spanish consumers, and their perception and preferences toward more sustainable food, production systems, and consumption practices. Based on the analysis of a survey of 324 consumers in the regions of Extremadura and Region of Murcia, the perception of citizens on the sustainability of their consumption and different production systems is analyzed, paying special attention to their opinions towards more sustainable vegetable and meat production practices. Findings show that almost all consumers are highly sensitive to the impact of their consumption on the environment. Although this perception does not translate into the purchase of sustainable foods for an important segment of the population, it does translate into their efforts to participate in recycling, waste reduction, or in changes in their consumption habits related to health. The bivariate and cluster analyses carried out have identified the existence of an important segment of citizens with high levels of environmental sensitivity, which translates into sustainable consumption practices and a preference for the purchase of Sustainable Food (SF), with high importance granted when purchasing to its impact on the environment.

Keywords

Sustainability, Food, Consumer segments, Spain

İspanyol Tüketicilerinin Sürdürülebilir Gıda Tüketimi İlgilenimi

Abstract

References

• ABREU, I., NUNES, J.M., MESİAS, F.J., 2019. Can Rural Development Be Measured? Design and Application of a Synthetic Index to Portuguese Municipalities. Soc. Indic. Res. 145, 1107–1123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-019- 02124-w
• ARNOT, C., BOXALL, P.C., CASH, S.B., 2006. Do ethical consumers care about price? A revealed preference analysis of fair trade coffee purchases. Can. J. Agric. Econ. 54, 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744- 7976.2006.00066.x
• BRİGGEMAN, B.C., LUSK, J.L., 2011. Preferences for fairness and equity in the food system. Eur. Rev. Agric. Econ. 38, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbq033
• BRYŁA, P., 2016. Organic food consumption in Poland: Motives and barriers. Appetite 105, 737–746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.01 2
• CAPUTO, V., NAYGA, R.M., SCARPA, R., 2013. Food miles or carbon emissions? Exploring labelling preference for food transport footprint with a stated choice study. Aust. J. Agric. Resour. Econ. 57, 465–482. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12014
• DAGEVOS, H., 2005. Consumers as four-faced creatures. Looking at food consumption from the perspective of contemporary consumers. Appetite 45, 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2005.03.00
• DIAMANTOPOULOS, A., SCHLEGELMILCH, B.B., SINKOVICS, R.R., BOHLEN, G.M., 2003. Can socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? A review of the evidence and an empirical investigation. J. Bus. Res. 56, 465–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148- 2963(01)00241-7
• ELDESOUKY, A., MESİAS, F.J., ESCRİBANO, M., 2020. Perception of Spanish consumers towards environmentally friendly labelling in food. Int. J. Consum. Stud. 44, 64–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12546
• ELGHANNAM, A., MESÍAS, F.J., 2018. Social networks as a new marketing channel for animal food products: A qualitative study in Spain. Arch. Zootec. 67. https://doi.org/10.21071/az.v67i258.3662 ESCOBAR-López, S.Y., ESPİNOZA-Ortega, A., LOZANO-Cabedo, C., AGUİLAR-Criado, E., AMAYA-Corchuelo, S., 2019. Motivations to consume ecological foods in alternative food networks (AFNs) in Southern Spain. Br. Food J. 121, 2565– 2577. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj-01-2019-0051
• ESCOBAR-López, S.Y., ESPİNOZA-Ortega, A., VİZCARRA-Bordi, I., THOMÉ-Ortiz, H., 2017. The consumer of food products in organic markets of central Mexico. Br. Food J. 119, 558–574. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2016-0321 ESCRIBANO, M., GASPAR, P., MESIAS, F.J., 2020. Creating market opportunities in rural areas through the development of a brand that conveys sustainable and environmental values. J. Rural Stud. 75, 206–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.02. 002
• FLORİNDO, T.J., de MEDEİROS Florindo, G.I.B., Talamini, E., da Costa, J.S., Ruviaro, C.F., 2017. Carbon footprint and Life Cycle Costing of beef cattle in the Brazilian midwest. J. Clean. Prod. 147, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.0 21
• GADEMA, Z., OGLETHORPE, D., 2011. The use and usefulness of carbon labelling food: A policy perspective from a survey of UK supermarket shoppers. Food Policy 36, 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2011.08. GRUNERT, K.G., HIEKE, S., WILLS, J., 2014. Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use. Food Policy 44, 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.12. 001
• GRYMSHI, D., CRESPO-Cebada, E., ELGHANNAM, A., MESÍAS, F.J., DÍAZ-Caro, C., 2022. Understanding consumer attitudes towards ecolabeled food products: A latent class analysis regarding their purchasing motivations. Agribusiness 38, 93–107. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.21714
• HARTMANN, C., LAZZARINI, G., FUNK, A., SIEGRIST, M., 2021. Measuring consumers’ knowledge of the environmental impact of foods. Appetite 167, 105622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.10562
• HOEK, A.C., PEARSON, D., JAMES, S.W., LAWRENCE, M.A., FRIEL, S., 2017. Shrinking the food-print: A qualitative study into consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours. Appetite 108, 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APPET.2016.09. 030
• KEMP, K., INSCH, A., HOLDSWORTH, D.K., KNIGHT, J.G., 2010. Food miles: Do UK consumers actually care? Food Policy 35, 504–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.05. 011 Kriwy, P., Mecking, R.A., 2012. Health and environmental consciousness, costs of behaviour and the purchase of organic food. Int. J. Consum. Stud. 36, 30–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470- 6431.2011.01004.x
• LEE, H.J., YUN, Z.S., 2015. Consumers’ perceptions of organic food attributes and cognitive and affective attitudes as determinants of their purchase intentions toward organic food. Food Qual. Prefer. 39, 259–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.06.002
• MAPA, 2021. Informe del consumo de alimentación en España 2020. Madrid (Spain).
• MAPA, 2020. Informe del consumo de alimentación en España 2019. Madrid (Spain).
• MESİAS, F.J., MARTÍNEZ-Carrasco, F., MARTÍNEZ-Paz, J.M., GASPAR, P., 2012. Consumer knowledge, consumption, and willingness to pay for organic tomatoes. Br. Food J. 114, 318–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/000707012112134 47
• MESÍAS, F.J., MARTÍNEZ-Carrasco, F., MARTÍNEZ, J.M., GASPAR, P., 2011. Functional and organic eggs as an alternative to conventional production: A conjoint analysis of consumers’ preferences. J. Sci. Food Agric. 91, 532–538. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4217 MOHAMAD, S.S., RUSDI, S.D., HASHIM, N.H., 2014. Organic Food Consumption among Urban Consumers: Preliminary Results. Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci. 130, 509–514. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2014.0 4.059
• MOSER, A.K., 2015. Thinking green, buying green? Drivers of pro - Environmental purchasing behavior. J. Consum. Mark. 32, 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-10- 2014-1179
• OLSEN, N.V., BÁNÁTI, D., 2014. Ethics in Food Safety Management, in: Motarjemi, Y., Lelieveld, H. (Eds.), Food Safety Management: A Practical Guide for the Food Industry. Academic Press, pp. 1115– 1125. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381504-0.00046-9
• PACK, A., 2007. The Environmental sustainability of household food consumption in Austria: A socio-economic analysis. Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz. Scientific Report, 17. PANZONE, L., HILTON, D., SALE, L., COHEN, D., 2016. Socio-demographics, implicit attitudes, explicit attitudes, and sustainable consumption in supermarket shopping. J. Econ. Psychol. 55, 77–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOEP.2016.02.00
• POORE, J., NEMECEK, T., 2018. Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science (80)360, 987–992. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.AAQ02 16/SUPPL_FILE/AAQ0216_DATAS2.X LS
• SAMA, C., CRESPO-Cebada, E., DÍAZ-Caro, C., ESCRİBANO, M., MESÍAS, F.J., 2018. Consumer Preferences for Foodstuffs Produced in a Socio- environmentally Responsible Manner: A Threat to Fair Trade Producers? Ecol. Econ. 150, 290–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.04.031
• SONG, L., LIM, Y., CHANG, P., GUO, Y., ZHANG, M., WANG, X., YU, X., LEHTO, M.R., CAI, H., 2019. Ecolabel’s role in informing sustainable consumption: A naturalistic decision making study using eye tracking glasses. J. Clean. Prod. 218, 685–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.2 83
• TANNER, C., KAST, S.W., 2003. Promoting Sustainable Consumption: Determinants of Green Purchases by Swiss Consumers. Psychol. Mark. 20, 883–902. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.10101
• VERAIN, M.C.D., BARTELS, J., DAGEVOS, H., SIJTSEMA, S.J., ONWEZEN, M.C., ANTONIDES, G., 2012. Segments of sustainable food consumers: a literature review. Int. J. Consum. Stud. 36, 123–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470- 6431.2011.01082.x
• VİANA, M.M., SİLVA, V.L.S., DELİZA, R., TRİNDADE, M.A., 2016. The use of an online completion test to reveal important attributes in consumer choice: An empirical study on frozen burgers. Food Qual. Prefer. 52, 255–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.11.016
• World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• WU, L., YIN, S., XU, Y., Zhu, D., 2014. Effectiveness of China’s Organic Food Certification Policy: Consumer Preferences for Infant Milk Formula with Different Organic Certification Labels. Can. J. Agric. Econ. Can. d’agroeconomie 62, 545–568. https://doi.org/10.1111/cjag.12050