Consumer preferences for food products and production systems

Abstract

Nowadays, consumers face a huge range of products when buying food. A high density of information regarding content, origin and production of food is available. Hence, people can not only choose the ingredients or nutrients which they are going to eat but also the system in which food is produced. The choices people make regarding food relate to several concerns and problems, which affect not only individual well-being but also societal welfare. The main objectives of this dissertation are (i) to increase the knowledge and understanding of consumer preferences and (ii) to provide implications and recommendations for governments, policy-makers and research in particular. Consumer preferences for food are examined by analysing choice behaviour and attitudes. Preferences for food products, product attributes as well as production systems are empirically studied, exemplified by two topics: school milk and animal husbandry. Children's choices regarding school milk products are of interest because childhood is seen as being decisive for dietary habits in later years. The study presented in article 1 focuses on determinants of pupils’ school milk demand (grades 2-4). A demand model, which is based on multilevel analysis, is developed and considers individual factors as well as the family and school context. Findings show that the price setting (i.e., the availability of subsidies) is of importance for the school milk demand, however, only slightly more pupils will order school milk if prices are higher subsidized. Further, individual factors such as children's consumption habits at home, socio-demographics or their attitude towards milk significantly affect choices. There are also indications for socialisation and role modelling effects, as parents and teachers significantly influence or model children's choices for school milk. Article 2 contributes to insights to the role of gender in food preferences using the example of school milk. Findings of a multilevel analysis confirm that food choices of boys and girls are generally driven by both, identical and differing factors. The suitability of available school milk products to meet older children's preferences is analysed in article 3. A nested Logit model confirms that youths prefer a wider range of school milk products. The results indicate that youths are aware of fat and sugar content and their effects on health and weight. As expected, children care about prices, however, the study shows a low level of price sensitivity. With respect to the topic of animal husbandry, public attention and debates are increasingly focusing on the conditions in modern production systems. Article 4 provides detailed insights into attitudes towards modern pig production from society's point of view. The main point of criticism is the available space per pig. Although a basic negative or critical attitude is present, a very diverse picture of perceptions, attitudes and expectations exists. In general, three population groups with differing attitudes regarding pig production are identified. Overall, the empirical research indicates that different data types and the combination of methods are beneficial. A deeper understanding of choice behaviour and attitudes is gained, and the significance of derived implications increases. Choice analyses of revealed and stated preference data allow for identifying a huge range of influencing factors on children's choices regarding school milk products. Attitudes towards modern pig production are explored by qualitative and quantitative methods. In contrast to classical consumer research, the empirical research of this dissertation takes up different perspectives on consumers. Consumers are not only analysed in their role as decision-makers but also as citizens or members of society.