Abstract
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way their food is produced. This is particularly relevant in the case of meat, due to the impacts that its production methods can have on greenhouse gas emissions and its role in climate change. In relation to this issue, the purpose of our research is to obtain more information on the consumer decision-making process for beef, in order to determine the relative importance of sustainability claims and traditional attributes, and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and intentions. A choice experiment was used to assess the influence of these attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The results reveal that the best purchase choice for the consumer would be organic beef, produced in Spain, with an animal welfare label and eco-labelled. Later on, a cluster analysis was carried out using consumer beliefs and attitudes towards meat consumption as inputs, together with purchasing behaviour variables. A solution was obtained with three well-defined consumer segments showing different preference patterns: Cluster 1 (Male millennials indifferent towards environment or sustainability), Cluster 2 (Sustainability-concerned mature women) and Cluster 3 (Middle-aged meat eaters with established families). The results of this study are relevant to develop more appropriate strategies that may be adapted to the behaviour and expectations of eco-friendly food consumers.
Highlights
During the recent years, there has been a growing public interest in food products produced using sustainable or ethical production methods [1]
The results for the “Country of origin” attribute indicate that consumers obtain more utility when choosing beef produced in Spain than imported beef
Something similar happens with organic production or the presence of animal welfare and eco-labels, which have a positive impact on the preferences of respondents compared to their baseline reference levels
Summary
There has been a growing public interest in food products produced using sustainable or ethical production methods [1]. Consumers are increasingly aware of the fact that sustainable consumption is fundamental to protect the natural environment, counteract ongoing climate change, and ensure social justice [3,4]. In this sense, livestock products largely contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate change [5]. The extent to which consumers value and respond to environmentally-friendly food products through value-consistent behaviour still remains a questionable point [8]
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