Analyzing the Determinants of Green Food Consumption Intentions: Has COVID-19 the Potential to Shape more Sustainable Food Choices?

Abstract

In latest years the threat posed by climate change has gained growing public attention and consumers have developed increasing awareness of their role for the environmental cause. One of the areas in which consumers can give their contribution is food consumption. In fact, the food system is responsible for 25% to 35% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Taking this into account, this thesis explores sustainability in relation food consumption. Furthermore, the thesis considers the many behavioral changes introduced in people’s lives by the spread of COVID-19 and hypothesizes, among such behavioral changes, a growing influence of sustainability on food consumption decisions. The thesis develops around the notions of sustainability and consumer behavior with specific reference to the food industry and the drivers of sustainable food choices. The literature presented in the first part of the thesis is particularly important since it provided the theoretical background for the construction of the survey, but also the basis for interpreting the results of the conducted research. Specifically, this research studies the determinants of consumers’ green food consumption intentions following the Theory of Planned Behavior and the factors that influence the intention-behavior gap in the context of food purchases. Besides, it contributes to the emerging stream of literature investigating the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior by examining its effects on green food purchase intentions. To this purpose an online survey was distributed to residents of the North of Italy. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared with findings of available secondary research. Results showed that in general respondents have positive intentions towards the purchase of green food, however factors such premium prices of green food, mistrust, limited knowledge and availability were found to contribute to the green food intention-behavior gap. In addition, findings on changes in willingness to purchase green food following COVID-19 confirmed that the pandemic has sensitized consumers towards the environmental matter motivating more positive green food consumption intentions. These results were used to outline some managerial implications and develop suggestions for policymakers and companies operating in the food industry. In particular, taking the perspective of consumers allowed to provide business marketers and managers with useful insights on how to convert unsustainability of current lifestyles and on how to exploit COVID-19 to enhance the growth of the green food market. Moreover, it gives policymakers an understanding of the areas in need of public intervention to encourage greater sustainability of consumption.