A systematic review of drivers influencing consumer willingness to pay for organic food

Do Consumers Value Agri-Food Industries' Environmental Commitment? The Case of the Table Olive Industry

An increasing number of food companies are voluntarily adopting environmental policies and sustainability initiatives to tackle climate change. The aims of this study were to analyse the presence of environmental labels on table olive products, to explore consumer perceptions of these companies' environmental commitment and initiatives, and to evaluate the influence of these messages on purchasing decisions. For this purpose, a market study was conducted in different hypermarkets and supermarkets in Spain, and an online survey was submitted to consumers (n = 227). The results show that environmental claims and/or certifications related to sustainability do not appear on table olive products, despite most of the companies that produce and/or market table olives having adopted environmental and sustainability policies and commitments (34.3% have their environmental policy published on their website). More than 85% of consumers positively value these companies' sustainability commitments and consider environmental initiatives to be very important. As a sector of consumers pays close attention to environmental commitments, it would be interesting for table olive companies to identify their sustainability policies on their products' labelling to, thus, facilitate pro-environmental consumer purchase choices. These results could help the food industry develop the best strategies to publicise their social and environmental policies and commitments.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Animal Welfare as a Component of Sustainable Beef Programs in the United States-A Pilot Study

This study aimed to investigate how stakeholders in the United States beef industry incorporate animal welfare into their sustainability programs. A survey was administered online to the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef membership. Twenty-seven surveys were analyzed. Most respondents (n = 26, 96%) had sustainability programs that incorporated animal welfare. Most respondents believed that welfare positively impacted environmental (n = 25/26, 96%), economic (n = 25/26, 96%), and social (n = 26/26, 100%) sustainability. The thematic analysis of five free response questions identified ten themes: Animal Care, Regulations and Guidelines, Responsibility, Consumers and Stakeholders, Performance and Efficiency, Financial Impact, Connectedness, Critical Component, Animal-based Outcomes, and Employees. When asked to define welfare, the most common themes were Animal Care and Regulations and Guidelines. When asked why welfare was a component of their sustainability program, the top factors from a provided list were: cattle health (n = 20, 74%), cattle performance (n = 12, 44%), and consumer perceptions (n = 12, 44%). Findings suggest a widespread recognition of animal welfare's importance within sustainable beef production.

A Holistic Approach for Ethics and Sustainability in the Food Chain: The Gateway to Oral and Systemic Health

Food production is a complex matter, affecting people's lives, organizations' profits, and the well-being of the whole planet, and has multifaceted ethical considerations surrounding its production, distribution, and consumption. This paper addresses the pressing need to confront ethical challenges within the food system, encompassing issues such as environmental sustainability, food security, and individual food choices for better oral and systemic health of all individuals around the globe. From agricultural practices to global trade and food waste, ethical implications are addressed across various domains, highlighting the interconnectedness of ethical decision-making in the food industry. Central themes explored include the ethical dimensions of food production methods, the impact of global trade on food ethics, and the role of individuals in making ethically informed food choices. Additionally, this paper considers the spiritual and physical significance of food, particularly through the lens of oral health as a gateway to holistic well-being. Recognizing the complexity of the food and mouth ecosystem, this paper calls for serious interventions in legislation and economics to promote ethical protocols and techniques for sustainability reasons. It emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in food safety management systems, regulatory frameworks, and quality standards. Moreover, this paper underlines the need for a comprehensive approach to address ethical dilemmas and moral values inherent in the food industry and oral health policies, adopting the precautionary principle and ethical decision-making frameworks. This article finally aims to serve as a call to action for stakeholders across the food industry and the healthcare sector, to prioritize ethical practices, promote transparency, rearrange economic parameters, and work towards a more sustainable and equitable food system for inner and outer oral and systemic health and human sustainability for all.

Strengths and weaknesses of food eco-labeling: a review

Food labeling is increasingly expanding and adding more information to the food package. There is strong evidence about nutrition labeling effectiveness in driving food choice, especially if displayed in the front of package (FoP). Despite the growing attention to nutrition and sustainable diets, few countries have implemented sustainable labels or eco-labels that could address economic, social and/or environmental concerns. Implementing new techniques of eco-labeling emerges as a consumer-focused solution. However, evidence of the effectiveness of eco-labeling in driving consumers' choices is heterogeneous and not univocal. Thus, this review aims to summarize the evidence about the effectiveness of FoP eco-labeling in driving food choice and provide a reference framework of the eco-labeling initiatives relative to food package labeling. This narrative review addresses both the potential benefits as well as the main concerns that arise from the use of eco-labels. Although eco-labeling seems to provide a series of sustainability benefits for producers and consumers, the implementation of such policies should take into consideration potential trade-offs and inter-sectorial coordination to obtain bigger impacts, assuming that a policy itself cannot transform the whole food system. Eco-labeling could be encouraged and implemented within a set of policies shaping sustainable food systems.

A review of supply chain quality management practices in sustainable food networks

Supply chain quality management practices are necessary to improve processes, meet consumer quality needs, and enhance supply chain quality management performance in sustainable food networks. Food supply chain quality management and associated practices are considerably studied in global food systems, less so for alternative food networks. There are salient differences between global food systems and alternative food networks, which may reflect on the applicable supply chain quality management practices in the food systems and networks. This paper reviews the literature on supply chain quality management practices, with a focus on alternative food networks. A systematic literature review methodology is adopted, resulting in the analysis of seventy-eight papers, identifying a total of one hundred and three supply chain quality management practices. The identified supply chain quality management practices were analysed in relation to their link to a) place, production, and producer and b) link to (bio)processes. Emerging themes from the analysis are discussed, and some areas of future research were put forward.

Consumer Interaction with Sustainability Labelling on Food Products: A Narrative Literature Review

Sustainability labelling on food products can help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and support the urgent transition to sustainable food systems. While there is a relatively robust body of evidence on health and nutrition labelling, less is known about the effectiveness of sustainability labelling in facilitating sustainable food choices. This paper investigates the impact of sustainability labelling on consumer understanding, attitudes, and behaviour to support a more nuanced, detailed, and holistic understanding of the evidence. Using a narrative literature review methodology, the paper assesses studies covering environmental, social, and/or animal welfare aspects of sustainability labelling on food products. We found that consumer understanding of sustainability information is often limited, which could hinder behaviour change. While sustainability labelling can influence consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviours, evidence from real consumer settings tends to show small effect sizes. Consumers are generally willing to pay more for sustainability-labelled products, and organic labelling often leads to the highest reported willingness to pay. The review emphasises the importance of trust, suggesting a preference for labelling backed by governments or public authorities. Sustainability labelling that uses intuitively understandable cues has an increased impact, with visual aids such as traffic light colours showing promise. We conclude that further research is needed in real-world settings, using representative populations and exploring the influence of demographic factors, values, and attitudes.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Consumer Neuroscience towards Sustainable Consumption

Consumer neuroscience is a new paradigm for studying consumer behavior, focusing on neuroscientific tools to explore the underlying neural processes and behavioral implications of consumption. Based on the bibliometric analysis tools, this paper provides a review of progress in research on consumer neuroscience during 2000–2021. In this paper, we identify research hotspots and frontiers in the field through a statistical analysis of bibliometric indicators, including the number of publications, countries, institutions, and keywords. Aiming at facilitating carbon neutrality via sustainable consumption, this paper discusses the prospects of applying neuroscience to sustainable consumption. The results show 364 publications in the field during 2000–2021, showing a rapid upward trend, indicating that consumer neuroscience research is gaining ground. The majority of these consumer neuroscience studies chose to use electroencephalogram tools, accounting for 63.8% of the total publications; the cutting-edge research mainly involved event-related potential (ERP) studies of various marketing stimuli interventions, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-based studies of consumer decision-making and emotion-specific brain regions, and machine-learning-based studies of consumer decision-making optimization models.

This cookie will save the planet! The effect of a private sustainability claim on consumers' expectations

Current study investigates whether a private, sustainability claim has an impact on individuals' sensory and non-sensory expectations (halo effect) and quantifies such impact on individual monetary preferences. An incentive-compatible artefactual field experiment was performed by recruiting regular buyers and consumers of the investigated product (cookies). Results reveal that the sustainable agriculture claim generates high (unrelated) expectations and a statistically significant premium price compared to the conventional counterpart. Additionally, these expectations, together with respondents' trust in the claim, are the drivers of the price premium. Findings suggest the need for policy makers and consumer advocates to scrutinize the potential drawbacks of private sustainability claims on food products.

Consumers' values, attitudes and behaviours towards consuming seaweed food products: The effects of perceived naturalness, uniqueness, and behavioural control

Seaweed has great potential as a natural, healthy, and sustainable food. Seaweed as food is novel in Western countries; thus, few studies have focused on the factors influencing consumers' behavioural tendencies towards seaweed food products. This study aimed to fill the gap by investigating the antecedents for consumers' attitudes towards as well as their consumption of seaweed food products in a representative sample of Norwegian consumers (N = 426). An extended version of the value-attitude-behaviour (VAB) theory was employed as a conceptual framework to study seaweed consumption, assessing hedonistic values and perceived uniqueness versus biospheric values and perceived naturalness. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis. Our results showed that attitude significantly affected the consumption of seaweed food products and that perceived behavioural control positively moderated the attitude-consumption relationship. Perceived naturalness and uniqueness were associated with attitudes towards seaweed. Biospheric values directly influenced attitude, while perceived uniqueness positively moderated the hedonistic values-attitude relationship. In conclusion, this study indicates that Norwegian consumers form their positive attitudes towards seaweed food products based biospheric values and their beliefs that these products are healthy and natural.

Impact of perception and assessment of consumers on willingness to pay for upgraded fresh pork: An experimental study in Vietnam

Traditional pork shops play an essential role in delivering pork, the most popular food in Vietnam, to consumers. Studies have shown the need for investment in training and equipment to improve the safety of pork sold at traditional shops. However, it remains unclear how consumers perceived improvement to the hygiene in pork shops and if they are ready to pay premium prices for safer products. This study used an experimental approach to determine consumers' perception and assessment of improved pork shops and their willingness to pay (WTP) for pork products. A total of 152 respondents in two provinces in Vietnam joined in a Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) mechanism experiment to collect data on WTP for pork from typical and upgraded pork shops. A questionnaire was used to record consumers' perceptions and assessments of the pork shops and products. Overall, consumers were willing to pay 20% more for upgraded fresh pork than for what is currently available on the market. Consumers trusted in the effectiveness of the upgraded intervention and the quality of pork at the pork shop, which increased their WTP for the upgraded pork. Concerns about contaminated pork had a negative impact on the WTP for typical pork, while the high frequency of pork consumption and the existence of elderly family members led to higher WTP for both products. The findings indicate the potential economic benefit of upgrading pork shops, which would be an important driver to motivate sellers to improve food safety.

Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review

Food retail strategies to improve the healthiness of food and beverage options may increase purchasing of healthier options and improve diets. Consumer demand for healthier options is an important determinant of the successful implementation and maintenance of healthy food retail interventions. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was undertaken to explore whether consumers are willing to pay more for healthier foods and to determine the key factors that influence willingness to pay. Fifteen studies reported the results of 26 experiments providing willingness to pay estimates for healthier food products across a range of food retail environments. Twenty three out of the 26 experiments included in this review (88.5%) found consumers would pay a 5.6% to 91.5% (mean 30.7%) price premium for healthier foods. Studies consistently found a positive willingness to pay for foods with reduced fat and wholegrains with additional fruit and vegetables, while willingness to pay for foods with reduced salt or a combination of low fat and sugar, or salt showed mixed results. Adults over 60 years, females, those living with obesity, and consumers who aim to maintain a healthy lifestyle were more likely to pay a price premium for healthier food, whereas younger consumers, consumers with healthy weight, and consumers with higher levels of education were less likely to pay higher prices. The results of this review contribute to our understanding of consumer preferences for healthier products and provide information to retailers on consumer surplus (benefits) associated with the provision of healthier food alternatives.

Impact of Food Sustainability Labels on the Price of Rice in Online Sales

Currently, the quality and safety of agricultural products and the enhancement of the agroecological environment are widely discussed. In response to solving the problem of insufficient exploitation of the market potential regarding sustainable agricultural products, this study uses rice on e-commerce platforms as an empirical case and constructs a hedonic price model aiming to explore the impact of the sustainable label on the price premium of agricultural products. The results show that: (1) There is a significant price premium for rice with sustainable labeling over ordinary rice, which is about 47.55%. In addition, within the types of sustainable labels, the price premium for rice with an organic food label is higher than that of rice with a green food label. (2) Except for the sustainable label, factors affecting the price premium of rice products include e-commerce platforms, rice varieties, package types, and whether it is imported. The price premium indicates the actual recognition and preference of consumers for agricultural products with the sustainable label. Departments of agricultural and food management departments should cooperate to improve the agricultural certification system (i.e., the sustainable label), further unblock a positive market mechanism of "green label-high quality-good price", and facilitate the green transformation of China's agricultural production from the consumer side.

Organic Food Consumption and Perception among Polish Mothers of Children under 6 Years Old

Pro-environmental attitudes, including organic food consumption, can reduce negative impact on the environment. The consumption of organic food in Poland is rather low, but the ecological awareness of Poles is steadily increasing. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency and factors influencing the consumption of organic products and to analyze the perception of such food by mothers of children under 6 years of age (n = 667). The survey was conducted between March 2020 and May 2021 in three voivodships in Eastern Poland. The results of the survey indicate that the majority of respondents are occasional consumers of organic food (51%). The most commonly consumed organic products are eggs, vegetables and fruits, whereas the least consumed are alcoholic beverages, coffees and ready-to-eat meals. The responders' main characteristics of organic food are as follows: no genetic modification/GMO-free, no synthetic additives and having organic certification. Statistically significant correlations were found between the frequency of organic food consumption and education, financial situation as well as familiarity with the logo of the organic certificate and verifying that it is present on the packaging. The most common reasons for consuming organic food were health issues, while the high price was declared as the main barrier.

Analysis of the impacts of social class and lifestyle on consumption of organic foods in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of social class and lifestyle on the consumption of organic foods in South Korea. Consumer behavior regarding organic foods is influenced by lifestyle, as well as income-level and education. This study provides a new perspective on the socio-economic structure of organic food consumption patterns in urban areas by extracting information from big data. The organic food consumption patterns are then analyzed through visualization of the geographical distribution of organic food stores. In addition, this study estimates the effects of social class and lifestyle variables on the consumption of organic foods based on survey data. This study finds that social class characteristics are factors that influence the consumption of organic foods. However, individual lifestyle plays a more important role in actual buying behavior.

Can the Part Replace the Whole? A Choice Experiment on Organic and Pesticide-Free Labels

Chemical pesticides are a serious impediment to agricultural sustainability. A large-scale reduction in their use to secure food supplies requires more innovative and flexible production systems. Pesticide-free production standards bring together the strengths of all participants in the food value chain and could be the catalyst for this transition. Using a choice experiment approach and green tea as an example, this study investigated consumers’ preferences for organic and pesticide-free labels. According to the findings, organic and pesticide-free labels and brands are all major factors that affect consumers’ purchase decisions. Consumers are more willing to pay for organic labels than pesticide-free labels. There is a substitution effect between organic labels and pesticide-free labels. Complementary effects exist between organic labels and national brands, pesticide-free labels, and national brands. Consumer trust has an impact on consumers’ choice of organic labels and pesticide-free labels. The use of pesticide-free labels is an alternate approach for small- and medium-sized businesses in a specific market to lower the cost of organic certification.

Organic level vs. sales effort in coordination of green food supply chain for deteriorating items

Current research concentrates primarily on the effect of the organic level on the deterioration rate of products over a two-echelon food supply chain with two manufacturers and a retailer. One of the manufacturers produces organic products (OP), which is called the organic manufacturer (OM), and the other one produces non-organic products (NOP) with sales effort, which is called the non-organic manufacturer (NOM). Indeed, the NOM compensates for the organic advantage of OM by sales effort. The deterioration rate is assumed to be an ascending function of the organic level, and the products start to deteriorate at a specific rate that depends on the type of that product. In this study, the green supply chain based on the organic level is firstly examined in decentralized and centralized conditions, and then coordination between the retailer and the OM with the contract mechanisms is investigated. To demonstrate the performance of mathematical models, a real-world example and sensitivity analysis of crucial factors are presented. Thus, the chain profit increases, but one of the member's profits will decrease.

Effect of dietary magnolia bark extract supplementation in finishing pigs on the oxidative stability of meat

BACKGROUND

Magnolia bark extract (MBE) is a natural supplement with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Its properties suggest that the dietary supplementation in livestock could improve the quality of products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the effect of dietary MBE supplementation (0.33 mg/kg) in finishing pigs on the oxidative stability of meat. Oxidative stability is of paramount importance for pork, as it affects storage, retail, and consumer acceptance. For the purpose, the fatty acid profile, cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (TEAC, FRAP, and Folin-Ciocalteu assays), color stability, and lipid stability of pork were assessed.

RESULTS

Concerning carcass characteristics, dietary MBE did not affect cold carcass yield, but reduced (P = 0.040) the chilling weight loss. The meat from pigs fed MBE had a lower (P = 0.031) lightness index than the control meat. No effect on intramuscular fat, cholesterol, and fatty acid profile was observed. Dietary MBE did not affect the content of vitamin E (α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol) in pork, whereas it reduced (P = 0.021) the retinol content. The catalase activity was 18% higher (P = 0.008) in the meat from pigs fed MBE compared with the control group. The MBE supplementation reduced (P = 0.039) by 30% the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in raw pork over 6 d of aerobic refrigerated storage. Instead, no effect on lipid oxidation was observed in cooked pork. Last, the meat from pigs fed MBE reduced Fe³⁺-ascorbate catalyzed lipid oxidation in muscle homogenates, with a lower (P = 0.034) TBARS value than the control group after 60 min of incubation.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary MBE supplementation in finishing pigs delayed the lipid oxidation in raw meat. This effect was combined with an increased catalase concentration. These results suggest that dietary MBE could have implications for improving the shelf-life of pork.

Camel milk consumption patterns and perceptions in the UAE: a cross-sectional study

Camel milk has been consumed for centuries due to its medicinal and healing properties. The present study aims to investigate the consumption patterns of camel milk and perceived benefits and risks among adults in the United Arab Emirates. A self-administered online questionnaire was developed in English and Arabic languages and was completed online by 852 adults. Socio-demographic characteristics, camel milk consumption patterns and perceived knowledge of the benefits and risks of camel milk were investigated. About 60 % of the participants have tried drinking camel milk, but only a quarter (25⋅1 %) were regular consumers. The most consumed camel milk products after fresh milk were yoghurt and flavoured milk. The most popular additions to camel milk were honey, turmeric and sugar. Most consumers had less than one cup of camel milk per day (57⋅0 %). Camel milk consumers preferred it over other types of milk due to its nutritional value (66⋅4 %) and medicinal properties (39⋅3 %). Among consumers, 58⋅4 % reported consuming unpasteurised camel milk. Reasons included the belief that it is fresher (87⋅2 %), better for the immune system (41⋅6 %), and higher in nutrients (39⋅2 %). Overall, participants had inadequate knowledge about the health benefits of camel milk (7⋅11 ± 5⋅3 out of 25). Males and camel milk consumers had a significantly higher knowledge about the health benefits of camel milk compared to females and non-consumers (P < 0⋅05). Although positive perceptions were common, misperceptions appear to be prevalent among non-consumers. Consuming unpasteurised camel milk is a major public health concern, thus national regulations are essential.

Increase consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for organic food in restaurants: Explore the role of comparative advertising

Offering organic food is a new trend in the hospitality industry seeking sustainable competitiveness. Premiums and information barriers impede continued growth in organic consumption. This study aims to explore the role of comparative advertising (CA) in organic food communication. Three empirical studies were used to verify the effect of CA vs. non-comparative advertising (NCA) on consumers’ willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for organic food, examining how benefit appeals (health vs. environmental) and consumers’ organic skepticism affects CA. The results indicate that matching CA and health appeals increase consumers’ WTPP, while environmental appeals have no significant differences between the CA and NCA groups (Study 1). Information persuasiveness mediates the interaction between CA and benefit appeal on WTPP (Study 2). CA increases WTPP among consumers with high organic skepticism, while the interaction between CA and health appeal is only effective for low skepticism consumers (Study 3). The findings unravel and explain the mechanics of how CA works in organic products, which can help restaurants, retailers and tourist destinations advertise organic food to increase consumers’ WTPP.

How Does Information Influence Consumers’ Purchase Decisions for Environmentally Friendly Farming Produce? Evidence from China and Japan Based on Choice Experiment

In this research, 600 Chinese and Japanese consumers were divided into four groups to analyze consumers’ marginal willingness to pay for environmentally friendly farming (EFF) produce. We found that Chinese consumers had high awareness of green foods, while Japanese consumers were more familiar with organic produce than specially cultivated produce, perhaps because the latter has not yet received uniform national certification in Japan. Choice experiments show that EFF produce prices and consumers’ income critically affect consumers’ decision to pay, especially in China. After each group read different formal definitions of EFF produce, Chinese consumers still preferred green food certification, whereas Japanese consumers chose specially cultivated carrots. Both displayed different ideological purchasing behaviors through added interaction terms with an increase in education. When no information was given, Japanese consumers’ purchasing decisions became more positive as their education levels rose. Possibly, highly educated Chinese consumers emphasize pragmatism, whereas Japanese consumers emphasize the connection between environmental protection and agriculture. Therefore, EFF messaging should be differentiated by region. For distributors committed to international trade in EFF products between developing and developed markets, we suggest lower costs, differentiated product messaging, and community initiatives events to enhance trade and marketing in both China and Japan.

Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.

Consumer Preferences for Cheese Products with Quality Labels: The Case of Parmigiano Reggiano and Comté

The paper examined the potential demand for a food specialty dairy product, cheese, with alternative multiple labels. A random-parameter logit model was applied to interpret the results of online discrete choice experiments (DCE) for the elicitation of the preference of the cheese consumers surveyed in two European countries, France (n = 400) and Italy (n = 408). We analyzed consumers’ choices of quality-labeled cheeses, i.e., protected-designation-of-origin (PDO)-labeled Parmigiano Reggiano and Comté. Other features were tested, such as organic (Comté) and Mountain Product (Parmigiano Reggiano) labels, companies’ brands and price. The paper contributes to the literature on credence attributes by examining consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for differentiated cheese products in two EU countries, and by identifying the effects of personal characteristics, in terms of socio-demographics and level of product involvement, on the differences in preferences. The results show that price was the most important attribute in both countries, followed by the PDO quality label, particularly when paired with the second quality feature. Two cheese consumer segments were identified via latent class models in each country, helping producers to improve their marketing of agri-food products with a high gastronomic value and differentiation potential.

Factors Influencing Consumer Attitudes towards Organic Food Products in a Transition Economy—Insights from Kosovo

Globally, organic food production and consumption have significantly increased in the last two decades, driven largely by perceived positive impacts on consumer health, the environment, and sustainable development. The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing consumers’ attitudes towards organic food in the context of a transition/emerging economy. The study is based on a structured consumer survey targeting 300 urban consumers in Kosovo. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by Partial Least Squares was used to analyze factors influencing consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products, measured with four items (health concerns, labeling of origin, certification, environmental concerns). The results indicate that the health concerns, certification, and environmental concerns significantly influence consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products. The findings of this study are important for both producers and authorities responsible for ensuring the provision of healthy and reliable certified organic food products as well as environmentally friendly production systems that contribute to sustainable development.

Perceived Consumer Effectiveness and Willingness to Pay for Credence Product Attributes of Sustainable Foods

While perceived consumer effectiveness has consistently been linked to socially conscious attitudes, such as sustainable consumption decisions, the concept appears to have been confounded with other related constructs in the empirical studies measuring its effects on consumer buying intentions and consumer behaviour. A sustainable food consumer evaluation is based on product values and credibility to health, origin, environment, and ethical concerns. The research aimed to examine if sustainability-related perceived consumer effectiveness has an impact on purchase intention and willingness to pay for sustainable food products, in order to provide information on the pricing of sustainable foods. The study was carried out using a quantitative approach on a sample of 1204 young consumers using a self-administered online questionnaire. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between perceived consumer effectiveness and consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price for sustainable food attributes. Based on this willingness to pay a premium price for food products, a WTP Index was developed. The findings revealed that perceived effectiveness has a strong connection with the buying intention of food products with sustainable attributes.

Identifying what shapes the words and actions of residents' environmentally friendly express packaging: Evidence from a two-stage payment model

Voluntary purchase of environmentally friendly products is crucial to alleviating ecological degradation caused by human activities that revealing residents' payment decision-making mechanism is indispensable. Most current studies do not distinguish residents' payment decision-making behavior as a two-stage process of willingness to pay (WTP) and expected payment (EP), and research on negative factors needs to be deepened. To make up for the shortcomings, this study decomposes residents' environmentally friendly express packaging payment decision-making behavior into WTP and EP, and selects positive and negative antecedent variables. Then, the Double-Hurdle Model is used to explore the effects of variables. The results show that residents' EP is 2.68-3.89 RMB per item. Performance expectancy has a positive effect, and risk perception has a negative effect on WTP and EP. Additionally, influencing factors of WTP and EP differ, with facilitating conditions enhancing WTP, while social influence and green advertising acceptance promoting EP. Interestingly, effort expectancy has a positive impact on WTP but a negative effect on EP. Female residents with higher education and family monthly income have higher WTP and EP. The research shed light on residents' payment and recommendations on the promotion of environmentally friendly products are further proposed.

Determinants of Purchase Behavior of Young E-Consumers of Eco-Friendly Products to Further Sustainable Consumption Based on Evidence from Poland

The aim of the article is to analyze the purchasing behavior of young e-consumers of organic products in regard to sustainable consumption. The article highlights the importance of the Internet in the intensification of purchasing processes of modern consumers and presents the results of the study conducted in November 2021 using a survey questionnaire involving a sample of 620 respondents. As a result of statistical analyses, a structural model was estimated using the maximum likelihood method. It allowed us to determine the variables that influence the purchasing behavior of young e-consumers, as well as to illustrate the degree of the influence between endogenous variables. Defining these relationships made it possible to determine the factors that affect the buying behavior of young e-consumers in the market of organic products. The results of the study and the analysis of the model have led us to the conclusion that purchasing behavior is mainly determined by product information derived from various sources involving product and service quality or warranty, thus giving the consumers the right to file a complaint. The balance between these factors creates the grounds for sustainable consumption and putting emphasis on the specified groups of factors by the producers will allow shopping activities to intensify among young e-consumers. The ongoing SARS-CoV-19 pandemic has posed a serious limitation to an effective performance of the following study. In the future, the authors intend to carry out similar research among overseas respondents so that it is possible to verify if the current trends can also be traced in foreign markets.

Organic Food Consumption and Risk of Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recent epidemiological studies have explored the association between organic food consumption and the risk of obesity, but the results remain controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the association between organic food consumption and the risk of obesity. Rigorous methods for a comprehensive search were employed to search for literature in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase for relevant articles published until 30 November 2021. Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (Cis) were calculated using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model to understand the risk of obesity based on exposure to organic food. Four studies, comprising 104,488 healthy subjects and 39,425 adults who consumed organic food, reported 1625 incident cases of obesity. Compared with the unexposed group, organic food consumption was associated with a lower probability of obesity (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80–0.97, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that this association was higher in the cohort (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63–0.92) than cross-sectional studies (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–1.00), respectively. Overall, organic food consumption had a modest reduction (11%) in the risk of obesity and can be an appropriate strategy to prevent obesity.

Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model to Investigate Organic Food Purchase Intention: Evidence from Vietnam

Ample research has been conducted in the organic food market and researchers have investigated factors affecting the purchase behavior of consumers in many countries. However, the studies on organic food that integrate the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Norm Activation Model (NAM) in a transition country like Vietnam are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting the organic food purchase intention in the Vietnamese context. We combined the TPB and the NAM to propose an integrated research framework with attitude and personal norms as two mediators. Through a self-administered questionnaire survey, we collected 611 valid responses from the three biggest cities in Vietnam. Data were put into SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 for analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed to test both direct and indirect relationships among factors of TPB and NAM in the research model. Our findings indicated that attitude plays the most critical role in explaining the organic food purchase intention of Vietnamese consumers, followed by social norms and personal norms. Notably, attitude also remarkably mediated the impact of environmental awareness and knowledge of organic food on purchase intention. Meanwhile, personal norms played the mediating role in the NAM that intervene the connection between social norms and purchase intention. Based on our analysis, we suggested policymakers, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of organic food change their actions for the growth of the organic food market in Vietnam.

Organic Food in the Diet of Residents of the Visegrad Group (V4) Countries-Reasons for and Barriers to Its Purchasing

This study aimed to determine the differences in the frequency of, reasons for, and barriers to purchasing organic food among the inhabitants of the Visegrád Group member states. The selection of the countries for the study was dictated by the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe play the role of a niche market in the European organic food market. This research employed the method of a diagnostic survey and the discriminant function. A chi-squared test, ANOVA, and Fisher’s Post Hoc LSD test were also used to present differences in individual groups. This research shows that respondents from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia were guided by similar behaviors regarding the purchase of organic food. However, the attitudes of the respondents slightly differed between countries. In the case of the reasons for choosing organic food, the most important thing was that it is non-genetically modified food, especially for Polish consumers. The following were also mentioned: lack of chemical compounds (Slovaks and Czechs), high health value of such food (Czechs and Slovaks), and excellent taste (Hungarians). The most critical barriers against purchasing are the price (Poles and Hungarians), difficult access (Poles and Hungarians), and the short expiry time of such products (Slovaks).

“Young and Green” a Study of Consumers’ Perceptions and Reported Purchasing Behaviour towards Organic Food in Poland and the United Kingdom

Globally, the organic food market is the most successful green market. Young consumers, the decision-makers of the future, are perceived as being more environmentally concerned than older cohorts. The aim of this study was to consider young consumers’ attitudes and behaviours concerning organic food, where the organic food market in the UK is more mature than in Poland. Empirical research was conducted using a web-based survey questionnaire (CAWI) with consumers (n = 973) in both countries. The associations between four constructs (general pro-social attitudes, green consumption values, receptivity to green communication, and buying behaviour) were considered using CB-SEM. We extended the model with two new constructs to explain young consumers’ purchases of organic food. UK respondents are significantly more conscious green consumers with higher environmental attitude intensity than Polish residents. Intensity of pro-environmental attitude components influences directly and indirectly the choice of organic food. People with a higher intensity of pro-environmental attitudes are significantly more likely to choose organic food. Perception of organic food influences purchases only in Poland. The components of pro-environmental attitudes and perception of organic food alone do not explain the variability in behaviour, despite a good fit of the model. This suggests that other independent variables may be of influence.

Investigating dynamic interconnections between organic farming adoption and freshwater sustainability

As freshwater overexploitation in agriculture is rising, the application of alternative farming practices, particularly in water-scarce areas, is critical for the sustainability of the sector. Organic agriculture constitutes an opportunity for freshwater conservation, further improving biodiversity and human health. Notwithstanding literature efforts on the driving factors of organic farming and the impact of the latter on freshwater resources, a dynamic investigation of the interconnections between organic farming diffusion and freshwater sustainability is lacking. This research adopts a systems thinking perspective on the transition from conventional to organic agriculture. The developed system dynamics model explores the feedback mechanisms underpinning organic farming adoption and freshwater use by integrating, for the first time, the effects of: (i) farmers' water-related environmental and economic awareness patterns; and (ii) policy incentives and word of mouth about organic production benefits. The model is validated and tested based on a real-world wine grapes' case. The simulation outcomes highlight that the growers' intense environmental awareness could accelerate organic farming adoption, further promoting freshwater sustainability in case organic agriculture operations generate considerably low freshwater consumption coefficients. Overall, the proposed modelling framework is anticipated to act as a strategic tool for informing policy-makers about the system's state over time to plan potential interventions towards water-friendly organic farming.

Consumer versus Organic Products in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Barriers to Market Development

The main objective of this study was to determine the behavior of the Polish consumer of organic products during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify preferred channels of distribution of organic products in the situation of restricted freedom of movement as well as to assess what information displayed on the labels of organic food was most important to the customer. The research was conducted on a sample of 1108 respondents with the use of CAWI technique collected in an online survey carried out in February–August 2020. To analyze the obtained results, cluster analysis, linear regression model and duplication method were used to verify the substitute channels for purchasing organic goods. The pandemic has intensified the health value of consumers when making decisions about choosing food products. Consumers are sensitive shoppers who read the content of the labels and pay attention to the ingredients of the products they buy. The price is also of significant importance for consumers; however, it is less important than, for example, the expiration date of the purchased product. With the use of PCA analysis, it was possible to identify 18 factors that could be divided into three segments: marketing, practical and sensory. The proposed factors, according to the respondents, had an effect on the purchase of organic products by Polish consumers. Regarding the preferred purchasing channels, the Internet is becoming more and more important. Almost one-quarter of the respondents confirmed that they bought organic products via the above-mentioned distribution channel. Nearly 17% of the surveyed consumers considered the Internet to be an alternative way of doing their shopping. The results obtained in the research can be used in the sector of organic food producers to design marketing strategies and to adapt their offer to the proposed four groups of purchasers of organic products: eco-activists, eco-dietitians, eco-traditionalists, eco-innovators.

Considering Fraud Vulnerability Associated with Credence-Based Products Such as Organic Food

Organic foods carry a premium price. They are credence-based foods, i.e., it is difficult for consumers to evaluate the premium aspects of organic food under normal use. In global supply chains, organic food is purchased on institutional trust (certification, logos, standards) rather than on relational trust. Relying on institutional trust makes consumers vulnerable to criminals who intentionally label conventional product as organic or develop sophisticated organized crime networks to defraud businesses and consumers. The aim of this research is to explore cases of organic fraud that are emergent from academic and gray literature searches to identify ways to strengthen future capabilities to counter illicit activities in a globalized food environment. Each case is considered in terms of perpetrator motivations (differentiated as economic, cultural, and behaviorally orientated drivers), the mode of operation (simple or organized), the guardians involved/absent, and the business and supply chain level vulnerabilities the cases highlight. The study finds that institutional trust is particularly vulnerable to fraud. Supply chain guardians need to recognize this vulnerability and implement effective controls to reduce the likelihood of occurrence. However, in some cases considered in the study, the guardians themselves were complicit in the illicit behavior, further increasing consumer vulnerability. Future research needs to consider how additional controls can be implemented, without increasing supply chain friction that will impact on food trade and supply, that can ensure consumers are purchasing what they believe they are paying for.

The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike?

There is no doubt that the search for organic products is already more than a trend; it is an indisputable reality. More and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle that starts with food, which has awakened a growing interest in understanding the reasons for these purchases. The motivational attributes of consumers’ decisions regarding the consumption of organic products are the main aim of this study. The survey included 250 respondents that filled a questionnaire by email and by personal interviews. We used a non-probabilistic sampling method, namely convenience sampling and the best–worst scaling method to analyze 10 attributes of organic purchasing decisions. Then, we studied the impact of the classification variables age, gender, academic level, place of residence, children under 18 living at home, and place of purchase of organic products on the attributes. Applying a chi-square test, we only obtained statistically significant differences for children under 18 living at home and the certification warranty (p = 0.011). The results show the dominance of credence attributes and egoistic motivations on organic consumption and may indicate a path towards the standardization of the organic consumer profile. This study emphasized that we may be facing a new organic consumer, for whom health-related factors are not just significant but overwhelming as well.

Meta-analysis of consumers' willingness to pay for sustainable food products

There is a continuous increase in the number of studies dealing with consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) price premiums for sustainable food products. This research focused on a broad area of sustainable food products, including different sustainable attributes using a meta-analysis of 80 worldwide studies. The publication bias was verified using the funnel plot and Egger's test. In addition, the subgroup analysis and meta-regression were applied to classify the source of heterogeneity. The results suggest that the overall WTP premium for sustainability (in percentage terms) is 29.5% on average. Furthermore, gender, region, sustainable attributes and food categories influence the average WTP estimates and their heterogeneity. Results also indicate that the WTP estimate conducted by hypothetical approach (choice experiment and contingent valuation method) is higher than non-hypothetical one due to hypothetical bias. In addition, the WTP estimate from the CVM is higher than that from the CE. Additionally, the WTP value of organic attribute is higher than the other sustainable attributes. The subgroup analysis indicates that the fruit &vegetable category has the highest WTP estimate while the seafood receives the lowest one. Results also highlight that Asian WTP estimates, in percentage terms, are higher than those obtained in North America and similar to those from Europe. In addition, positive WTP estimates are shown independent of the food categories, region or methods, denoting the presence of great market potential for sustainable products worldwide. The findings of this research can be used as a guide by food producers, marketers and policymakers when making decisions related to the sustainability of food products.

Plastic credit: A consortium blockchain-based plastic recyclability system

By the end of 2015, approximately 6300 million tons (Mt) of plastic waste had been generated globally, but less than 10% of plastics was recycled. Since different types of plastics have various degrees of recyclability, consumer information about plastic product recyclability is paramount in order to increase the levels of plastic recycled. Against this context, the objective of this work is to define a plastic credit system to increase the amount of recyclable plastics. The plastic credit system assigns credit information to each plastic product and its corresponding company based on the percentage recyclability value of the plastic type and its composition. The methodology proposed is based on a unified and transparent credit system established by a double-chain system, which comprises a public blockchain CreditChain and a consortium blockchain M-InfoChain. The results show through the overall system performance analysis that the designed plastic credit system is capable of promoting a demand shift towards plastic products with higher plastic recyclability and achieving a lightweight operation for resource requirements and system maintenance.

Actinidia arguta Pulp: Phytochemical Composition, Radical Scavenging Activity, and in Vitro Cells Effects

Hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) is a highly appreciated exotic fruit endowed with outstanding bioactive compounds. The present work proposes to characterize the pulp from A. arguta organic fruits, emphasizing its radicals scavenging capacity and effects on intestinal cells (Caco-2 and HT29-MTX). The physicochemical properties and phenolic profile were also screened. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively) of pulp were 12.21 mg GAE/g on dry weight (DW) and 5.92 mg CE/g DW, respectively. A high antioxidant activity was observed (FRAP: 151.41 μmol FSE/g DW; DPPH: 12.17 mg TE/g DW). Furthermore, the pulp did not induce a toxic effect on Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cells viability up to 1000 μg/mL. Regarding in vitro scavenging capacity, the pulp revealed the highest scavenging power against NO^. (IC₅₀ =3.45 μg/mL) and HOCl (IC₅₀ =12.77 μg/mL). These results emphasize the richness of A. arguta fruit pulp to be used in different food products.

Sustainable Food Consumption: Investigating Organic Meat Purchase Intention by Vietnamese Consumers

Promoting sustainable food consumption contributes to the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. This study investigated the key determinants of consumer intention to purchase organic meat in an emerging market and a unique model was developed by incorporating environmental concern and guilt with the key components of the Theory of Planned Behavior. This model was then validated by obtaining data from a sample of 402 Vietnamese consumers at five food stores in Ho Chi Minh City, using a paper-based survey. The findings reveal that consumers who are concerned about the environment are likely to formulate favorable attitudes and downplay monetary barriers associated with organic food purchase. In addition, while attitudes and guilt about buying conventional meat have a positive effect on organic meat purchase intention, perceived monetary barriers significantly reduce the intention. These findings highlight both the rational and emotional aspects of organic food purchase intention and have important implications for key stakeholders and the encouragement of organic meat consumption.

Australian Consumers' Preferences for Food Attributes: A Latent Profile Analysis

Understanding consumer food preferences can provide agribusinesses with a competitive advantage through meeting consumers’ needs. Consumers’ preferences for food attributes have been extensively examined, focusing on specific aspects of attributes with specific food products. It is less clear how consumers evaluate the relative importance of the key food attributes in general. Applying the commonly adopted classification of food attributes into endogenous attributes (i.e., safety and freshness) and exogenous attributes (i.e., genetically modified (GM)-free and organic), the relative importance of these attributes for consumers was investigated. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of preferences was explored to identify distinct subgroups of consumers who may differ in valuing various food attributes. An online survey of 489 city dwellers in Australia revealed that the endogenous attributes were regarded as the most important in an order of safety and freshness. The exogenous attributes were rated as much less important. Three profiles with distinctive preferences for food attributes were identified: Not Fussy (12% of participants), Quality First (49%) and Choosy (39%). The findings suggest that consumers value the importance of various food attributes in a hierarchical order, and there is significant heterogeneity in consumers’ food preference. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of food policy and agribusiness decision-making.

Perspectives on the trends, challenges and benefits of green, smart and organic (GSO) foods

Rapid rate of industrialization has turned our planet around in favor of fast foods, food fraud, food terrorism, food waste, food adulteration, food poisoning, food contamination and food injustice, paving the path for green, smart and organic products. Green foods are grown and harvested in the absence of any form of environmental pollution or harmful conditions. Smart foods are termed to be good for the consumers, farmers and the planet. Organic foods are regarded as “credence goods” because some of the attributes that consumers may consider are neither obvious nor easily verified. Therefore, these three terms are interconnected as they forge a substantive common denominator - healthfulness. The concepts of green, smart and organic (GSO) foods are herein recounted together with their interdependence and relationship to health and sustainability. The processes, policies and global trends of GSO foods were discussed, whilst not undermining the benefits and challenges associated with them.

Why Not Green Marketing? Determinates of Consumers’ Intention to Green Purchase Decision in a New Developing Nation

Consumers are paying close attention to green products to reduce the environmental impact on health issues. As the scope of this research, this current study focuses on determining consumers’ purchase decisions regarding green products using a survey conducted in a fast-growing developing country. This research was descriptive and considered a conceptual framework for extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which was selected as the primary theoretical model. The significant contributions and main objectives of this study are as follows—to explore the present scenario of green marketing in Bangladesh with previous studies, and to fill a research gap regarding green purchase decisions by applying the TPB model with adding additional constructs, such as environmental concerns, green perceived quality, and future green estimates. A range of qualitative and quantitative techniques were adopted to collect data from the target groups, where a sample of young educated Bangladeshi consumers (n = 638) was used to consider the measurement and structural models by applying a partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. The empirical findings show that consumers’ environmental concern (EC), green perceived benefits (GPB), green awareness of price (GAP), green willingness to purchase (GWP), and future estimation of green marketing (GFE) have a strong positive influence on consumer’ green purchase decision (GPD). Still, the green perceived quality (GPQ) has a negative influence on green purchase decisions (GPD). To inform consumers about green or eco-friendly products, this study provides valuable suggestions to companies, marketers, and policymakers for designing green marketing tools such as green advertising, green branding, and eco-labels. Based on these findings, it gives some managerial insights for the promotion of green products and green marketing.

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Food Safety Perceptions—A Choice-Based Willingness to Pay Study

As the COVID-19 pandemic brings about sudden change in societies across the globe and likely heralds the start of a recession, we examine the pandemic’s impact on consumer food safety perceptions. Due to its origin, COVID-19, likely spurring from an animal-to-human transmission in the context of a wet market, may impact consumer food perceptions in similar ways to the avian flu (H5N1) and the swine flu (H1N1). We examine this effect by studying preferences for beef meat in a consumer survey in the United States (n = 999) using a choice-based experiment. We compare our findings to Lim et al. (2014), who elicited consumer beef willingness to pay (WTP). Additionally, we investigate the impact of the looming recession by analyzing several attributes and their effect on consumer preferences. Our findings suggest that food safety concerns have become more important. As a result, production standards and the country of origin have lost importance. Additionally, we show that the socioeconomic impact for some respondents impacts their shopping preferences. Finally, we outline potential areas for future research as well as managerial implications.

Conventionalization of Organic Agriculture: A Multiple Case Study Analysis in Brazil and Italy

The conventionalization of organic agriculture has been described as a process in which organic agriculture increasingly adopts the features of conventional modes of production based on industrial farming methods. The increasing supply of organic products to the large retailers is considered the main driver of conventionalization. This process has negative implications for the agrobiodiversity of organic farming systems. The present study aims to investigate and analyze the impact of retailing strategies on the agrobiodiversity of organic farms. A survey of farms located in rural areas near large urban centers (three metropolitan regions in Southern Brazil and four Italian regions) was undertaken. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The analysis indicates that the farms surveyed maintained a high level of agrobiodiversity and active participation in alternative food networks. Our findings point out that there was a significant and positive correlation between the crop richness index and the share of farm sales through alternative food networks. We conclude that adopting various forms of direct sale is the key factor in stimulating farms’ agrobiodiversity, but proximity to densely populated areas is a necessary precondition for the development of the short food supply chains needed to stimulate the diversification of organic agriculture.

Will legal international rhino horn trade save wild rhino populations?

Wild vertebrate populations all over the globe are in decline, with poaching being the second-most-important cause. The high poaching rate of rhinoceros may drive these species into extinction within the coming decades. Some stakeholders argue to lift the ban on international rhino horn trade to potentially benefit rhino conservation, as current interventions appear to be insufficient. We reviewed scientific and grey literature to scrutinize the validity of reasoning behind the potential benefit of legal horn trade for wild rhino populations. We identified four mechanisms through which legal trade would impact wild rhino populations, of which only the increased revenue for rhino farmers could potentially benefit rhino conservation. Conversely, the global demand for rhino horn is likely to increase to a level that cannot be met solely by legal supply. Moreover, corruption is omnipresent in countries along the trade routes, which has the potential to negatively affect rhino conservation. Finally, programmes aimed at reducing rhino horn demand will be counteracted through trade legalization by removing the stigma on consuming rhino horn. Combining these insights and comparing them with criteria for sustainable wildlife farming, we conclude that legalizing rhino horn trade will likely negatively impact the remaining wild rhino populations. To preserve rhino species, we suggest to prioritize reducing corruption within rhino horn trade, increasing the rhino population within well-protected 'safe havens' and implementing educational programmes and law enforcement targeted at rhino horn consumers.