Consumer Intention to Buy Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore factors affecting attitudes toward plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) as well as consumer intentions to buy PBMA in Canada as a Western country and Kuwait as an Arab country. The proposed research model extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by incorporating factors such as environmental concerns, health consciousness, and animal welfare, food choice factors (health, sustainability, cruelty-free, and sensory appeal), meat attachment and food neophobia. Data were collected through online surveys in Canada (n = 304) and Kuwait (n = 313). The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used for data analysis and hypotheses testing. Results show that attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral control have a significant effect on purchase intentions. Results also show that environmental concerns, cruelty free as a food factor choice, meat attachment, and food neophobia significantly affect attitudes toward PBMA. There were significant differences between Canada and Kuwait in the strength of the effect of attitude and behavioral control on purchase intentions.