The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology adopted and the main results achieved by an exploratory study on consumers information and behaviour towards green, health, local, social and environmental credentials on the label. Consumer choices depend on consumer preferences that are related to intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics. Extrinsic product characteristics, though not physical, such as brands, indications of the origin, the tradition of the production process, the use of organic agriculture, the animal welfare, the defence of the environment, and the presence of ethical requirements all play important roles in consumer choices. In this paper we investigate the importance of the multi-dimensions of sustainability in the food products that affect consumer choices. After conducted two focus groups and running four binary logistic regression models it emerges the problem of "rules of thumb" in purchasing decisions that, as established in cognitive research, prevail in the following situations: when consumers have an overload of information, when they have little time, when the problem is not felt to be important, when there is a lack of knowledge and information. Only policies to promote consumers'information can generate a virtuous circle between consumers behavior, companies' corporate social responsibility and policy for sustainability.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND CONSUMER VIRTUOUS BEHAVIOUR: INFORMATION VS HABITS
MARCHINI, Andrea
2015
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology adopted and the main results achieved by an exploratory study on consumers information and behaviour towards green, health, local, social and environmental credentials on the label. Consumer choices depend on consumer preferences that are related to intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics. Extrinsic product characteristics, though not physical, such as brands, indications of the origin, the tradition of the production process, the use of organic agriculture, the animal welfare, the defence of the environment, and the presence of ethical requirements all play important roles in consumer choices. In this paper we investigate the importance of the multi-dimensions of sustainability in the food products that affect consumer choices. After conducted two focus groups and running four binary logistic regression models it emerges the problem of "rules of thumb" in purchasing decisions that, as established in cognitive research, prevail in the following situations: when consumers have an overload of information, when they have little time, when the problem is not felt to be important, when there is a lack of knowledge and information. Only policies to promote consumers'information can generate a virtuous circle between consumers behavior, companies' corporate social responsibility and policy for sustainability.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
