The Mediating Role of Locavorism in the Effect of Local Food Consumption Value on Intention to Purchase Local Foods

Abstract

The number of studies exploring attitudes toward local food is limited but growing. This research aims to fill the gap by testing food consumption value as a second-order construct and assessing its impact on attitudes toward local food, locavorism, and the intention to purchase local food. Additionally, the study examines the conditions that may influence the effect of food consumption value. The study sample consists of participants aged 18 and older who consume local food. The research model was analyzed for validity, reliability, and structural relationships using Smart PLS statistical software. The findings indicate that taste and quality values are significant in shaping attitudes toward local food, whereas price and prestige values did not have a positive effect on these attitudes. Moreover, the study shows that positive attitudes toward local food increase the intention to purchase it. Lastly, the elements of lionization and communalization were found to reinforce both positive attitudes toward local food and purchase intentions, while the element of opposition did not demonstrate this effect.

Keywords

• local food
• purchase intention
• consumption value
• locavorism
• food

References

1. Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs.
2. Ali, F., Ciftci, O., Nanu, L., Cobanoglu, C., & Ryu, K. (2021). Response rates in hospitality research: An overview of current practice and suggestions for future research. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(1), 105-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965520943094
3. Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74-94. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02723327
4. Baby, J., and Joseph, A. (2023). Influence of travelers’ pro-environmental behavior and support of the local economy towards purchase intention of local foods. International Journal of Food Science and Agriculture, 7(3), 368-378. https://doi.org/10.26855/ijfsa.2023.09.005
5. Badu‐Baiden, F., Kim, S., Otoo, F., & King, B. (2022). International tourists’ local African food consumption. Tourism Review, 77(5), 1333-1348. https://doi.org/10.1108/tr-01-2022-0013
6. Becker, J. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., & Völckner, F. (2015). How collinearity affects mixture regression results. Marketing letters, 26, 643-659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-014-9299-9
7. Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88(3), 588-606. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588
8. Bianchi, C. & Mortimer, G. (2015). Drivers of local food consumption: a comparative study. British Food Journal, 117(9), 2282-2299. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj-03-2015-0111

9. Björk, P., & Kauppinen-Räisänen, H. (2016). Local food: a source for destination attraction. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(1), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2014-0214
10. Bollen, K. A., & Ting, K. F. (1993). Confirmatory tetrad analysis. Sociological Methodology, 23, 147-175. https://doi.org/10.2307/271009
11. Christoph, I. B., Bruhn, M., Roosen, J. (2008). Knowledge, attitudes towards and acceptability of genetic modification in Germany. Appetite, 51(1), 58–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.12.001
12. Choe, J. Y. J., & Kim, S. S. (2018). Effects of tourists’ local food consumption value on attitude, food destination image, and behavioral intention. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 71, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.11.007
13. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
14. Cozzio, C., Orlandi, L., & Zardini, A. (2018). Food sustainability as a strategic value driver in the hotel industry. Sustainability, 10(10), 3404. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103404
15. Dijkstra, T. K., & Henseler, J. (2015). Consistent partial least squares path modeling. MIS Quarterly, 39(2), 297-316.
16. Elliot, S., Papadopoulos, N., & Kim, S. S. (2011). An integrative model of place image: Exploring relationships between destination, product, and country images. Journal of Travel Research, 50(5), 520-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287510379161
17. Essam, E., Abdien, M. K., Barakat, M. O., & Elsaqqa, M. A. (2025). Unveiling locavorism in restaurants: understanding consumer’s intention and the dual moderating roles of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-07-2024-0692
18. Feldmann, C., & Hamm, U. (2015). Consumers’ perceptions and preferences for local food: A review. Food Quality and Preference, 40, 152-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.09.014
19. Fitzgerald, K. J. (2016). Thinking globally, acting locally: Locavorism and humanist sociology. Humanity & Society, 40(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160597615619273
20. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
21. Goolaup, S., & Mossberg, L. (2017). Exploring the concept of extraordinary related to food tourists’ nature-based experience. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 17(1), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2016.1218150
22. Groß, M. (2018). Heterogeneity in consumers’ mobile shopping acceptance: A finite mixture partial least squares modelling approach for exploring and characterising different shopper segments. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 40, 8-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.09.002
23. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
24. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
25. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. Sinkovics, R.R. and Ghauri, P.N. (Eds.) New Challenges to International Marketing (Advances in International Marketing, Vol. 20), Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
26. Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
27. Hwang, J.; Kim, J.-J. (2021). Edible Insects: How to Increase the Sustainable Consumption Behavior among Restaurant Consumers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 6520. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126520
28. Ignatov, E., & Smith, S. (2006). Segmenting Canadian culinary tourists. Current Issues in Tourism, 9(3), 235-255. https://doi.org/10.2167/cit/229.0
29. Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291575
30. Kim, S. H., & Huang, R. (2021). Understanding local food consumption from an ideological perspective: Locavorism, authenticity, pride, and willingness to visit. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, 102330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102330
31. Kim, Y. G., Eves, A., & Scarles, C. (2013). Empirical verification of a conceptual model of local food consumption at a tourist destination. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, 484-489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.06.005
32. Kumar, A., & Smith, S. (2018). Understanding local food consumers: Theory of planned behavior and segmentation approach. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 24(2), 196-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2017.1266553
33. Lichtenstein, D. R., & Bearden, W. O. (1989). Contextual influences on perceptions of merchant-supplied reference prices. Journal of Consumer research, 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1086/209193
34. Magnusson, M., Arvola, A., Hursti, U., Åberg, L., & Sjödén, P. (2001). Attitudes towards organic foods among swedish consumers. British Food Journal, 103(3), 209-227. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700110386755
35. Onozaka, Y., McFadden, D. T. (2011). Does local labeling complement or compete with other sustainable labels? A conjoint analysis of direct and joint values for fresh produce claim. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 93(3), 693–706. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aar005
36. Pelegrin-Borondo, J., Arias-Oliva, M., & Olarte-Pascual, C. (2017). Emotions, price and quality expectations in hotel services. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23(4), 322-338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766716651305
37. Peng, C., & Kim, Y. G. (2014). Application of the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) framework to online shopping behavior. Journal of Internet Commerce, 13(3-4), 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2014.944437
38. Peral-Peral, B., Jorge Arenas G., & Reina-A., J. (2022), Buying local food is not a question of attitude: an analysis of benefits and limitations, Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC; Bingley, 26(1), 80-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-09-2021-0181
39. Perrea, T., Grunert, K. G., & Krystallis, A. (2015). Consumer value perceptions of food products from emerging processing technologies: A cross-cultural exploration. Food Quality and Preference, 39, 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.06.009
40. Perugini, M., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2001). The role of desires and anticipated emotions in goal-directed behaviours: Broadening and deepening the theory of planned behaviour. British Journal of Social Psychology, 40(1), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466601164704
41. Phillips, W. J., Asperin, A., & Wolfe, K. (2013). Investigating the effect of country image and subjective knowledge on attitudes and behaviors: US Upper Midwesterners’ intentions to consume Korean food and visit Korea. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.04.003
42. Pino, G., Peluso, A. M., & Guido, G. (2012). Determinants of regular and occasional consumers' intentions to buy organic food. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 46(1), 157-169. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2012.01223.x
43. Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920638601200408
44. Prentice, J. (2006). Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green.
45. Qu, S., Lamm, A., Rumble, J., & Telg, R. (2018). Predicting consumers’ local food attitude with personal values and local food online videos. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(1), 171-188. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.01171
46. Rehman, S. U., Samad, S., Singh, S., & Usman, M. (2022). Tourist's satisfaction with local food effect behavioral intention in COVID-19 pandemic: a moderated-mediated perspective. British Food Journal, 124(10), 3133-3151. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2021-0869
47. Reich, T., Kupor, D. M., & Smith, R. K. (2017). Made by mistake: When mistakes increase product preference. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(5), 1085–1103. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx089
48. Reich, B. J., Beck, J. T., & Price, J. (2018). Food as ideology: Measurement and validation of locavorism. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(4), 849–868. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy027
49. Rousta, A., & Jamshidi, D. (2020). Food tourism value: Investigating the factors that influence tourists to revisit. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 26(1), 73-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766719858649
50. Rudy, K. (2012). Locavores, Feminism, and the Question of Meat. The Journal of American Culture, 35(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734x.2011.00795
51. Sánchez, J., Callarisa, L., Rodriguez, R. M., & Moliner, M. A. (2006). Perceived value of the purchase of a tourism product. Tourism Management, 27(3), 394-409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.11.007
52. Šapić, S., Furtula, S., & Durkalić, D. (2018). Prestige and national identity as predictors of food products purchase. Економика пољопривреде, 65(2), 643-657. https://doi.org/10.5937/ekoPolj1802643S
53. Scozzafava, G., Contini, C., Romano, C., & Casini, L. (2017). Eating out: which restaurant to choose?. British Food Journal, 119(8), 1870-1883. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2016-0591
54. Sheth, J. N., Newman, B. I., & Gross, B. L. (1991). Why we buy what we buy: A theory of consumption values. Journal of Business Research, 22(2), 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-2963(91)90050-8
55. Shmueli, G., & Koppius, O. R. (2011). Predictive analytics in information systems research. MIS quarterly, 35(3), 553-572. https://doi.org/10.2307/23042796
56. Shmueli, G., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Cheah, J. H., Ting, H., Vaithilingam, S., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). Predictive model assessment in PLS-SEM: guidelines for using PLSpredict. European Journal of Marketing, 53(11), 2322-2347. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0189
57. Simonetti, L. (2012). The ideology of Slow Food. Journal of European Studies, 42(2), 168-189. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047244112436908
58. Sims, R. (2009). Food, place and authenticity: local food and the sustainable tourism experience. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 17(3), 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580802359293
59. Skallerud, K, & Wien, A. H. (2019). Preference for local food as a matter of helping behaviour: Insights from Norway. Journal of Rural Studies, 67, 79-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.02.020
60. Soltani, M., Soltani Nejad, N., Taheri Azad, F., Taheri, B., & Gannon, M. J. (2021). Food consumption experiences: a framework for understanding food tourists’ behavioral intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(1), 75-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2020-0206
61. Statista. (2020, December 1). Local foods – Statistics & facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/2123/
62. Steenkamp, J. B., Batra, R., & Alden, D. L. (2003). How perceived brand globalness creates brand value. Journal of International Business Studies, 34, 53-65. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400002
63. Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6(2), 81-97.
64. Sthapit, E., Björk, P., & Coudounaris, D. N. (2017). Emotions elicited by local food consumption, memories, place attachment and behavioural intentions. Anatolia, 28(3), 363-380. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1322111
65. Stone, M. J., Migacz, S., Garibaldi, R., Stein, N., & Wolf, E. (2020). 2020 State of the Food Travel Industry Report. World Food Travel Association.
66. Sulek, J. M., & Hensley, R. L. (2004). The relative importance of food, atmosphere, and fairness of wait: The case of a full-service restaurant. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 45(3), 235-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880404265345
67. Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48, 1273-1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
68. Tenenhaus, M., Vinzi, V. E., Chatelin, Y. M., & Lauro, C. (2005). PLS Path Modeling. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 48(1), 159-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2004.03.005
69. Thio, S., Jokom, R., & Widjaja, D. C. (2022). The contribution of perceived food consumption value on destination attractiveness and revisit intention. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2022.2074331
70. Thio, S., Kristanti, M., & Sondak, M. R. (2024). The role of food consumption value and attitude toward food on behavioral intention: Culinary tourist behavior in Indonesia. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2371985
71. Uddin, M. B. (2019). Customer loyalty in the fast-food restaurants of Bangladesh. British Food Journal, 121(11), 2791-2808. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2019-0140
72. Varman R., & Russell W. B. (2009). Nationalism and ideology in an anticonsumption movement. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(4), 686–700. https://doi.org/10.1086/600486
73. Wan, Y. K. P., & Choi, S.-H. (2020). Food Tourists and Food Image in a Creative City of Gastronomy in Macao, China. Journal of China Tourism Research, 18(2), 376–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2020.1852992
74. Wenzig, J., & Gruchmann, T. (2018). Consumer preferences for local food: Testing an extended norm taxonomy. Sustainability, 10(5), 1313. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051313
75. Williams, L. T., Germov, J., Fuller, S., & Freij, M. (2015). A taste of ethical consumption at a slow food festival. Appetite, 91, 321-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.066
76. Yildiz, H., Heitz-Spahn, S., & Belaud, L. (2018). Do ethnocentric consumers really buy local products?. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 139-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.03.004
77. Yee, R. K. (2015). A tale of two food blogs: culinary tourism in Hong Kong from a Chinese American perspective. New Errands 3(1), 45-49. https://doi.org/10.59236/ne3159815
78. Zhang, T., Chen, J., & Grunert, K. G. (2022). Impact of consumer global–local identity on attitude towards and intention to buy local foods. Food Quality and Preference, 96, 104428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104428
79. Zhang, T., Grunert, K. G., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A values–beliefs–attitude model of local food consumption: An empirical study in China and Denmark. Food Quality and Preference, 83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.103916
80. Zhao, X., Lynch Jr., J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1086/651257
81. Zhao, Y., Deng, H., Yu, C., & Hu, R. (2019). The chinese public’s awareness and attitudes toward genetically modified foods with different labeling. NPJ Science of Food, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-019-0049-5