Model Of Food Consumption Research Articles

Agroecology prosumption: The role of CSA networks

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) promotes local and fairer food consumption, based on social innovation. CSAs also become active nodes for agroecology prosumption as a tool for socio-economic transformation, but have limitations in terms of their sustainability. The tools provided by the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and the adoption of digital platforms can be a valuable instrument to counter these limitations. This research focuses on identifying which CSA models have greater prosumer potential, and what role Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play in this challenge. The study focuses on the analysis of the agroecological network generated by the 56 CSAs in the city of Barcelona, and their 177 providers. The results show that professionalized CSA's with better ICT adoption and constituted as agroecology platform cooperatives, have a greater impact and an increased potential for promoting a food consumption model based on agroecology.

From childhood nature experiences to adult pro-environmental behaviors: An explanatory model of sustainable food consumption

In two studies, the role of nature experiences and social norms during childhood is explored next to adulthood biospheric values, connectedness to nature, environmental identity, and objective knowledge in relation to pro-environmental behaviors. Study 1 (N = 185) tested the hypothesized model in the realm of general pro-environmental behaviors and sustainable fruit consumption on a sample of students. Study 2 (N = 155) tested the model in the realm of sustainable seafood consumer choice on a general population sample. Path analyses show consistent results across samples. Results show that childhood nature experiences and exposure to pro-environmental social norms during childhood are related to adulthood development of connectedness with nature and biospheric values; these, in turn, help in shaping adulthood environmental self-identity ultimately influencing the enactment of sustainable food choices during adulthood. These findings point toward the relevance of childhood experiences for pro-environmental behaviors as compared to the provision of information. The role of objective knowledge across samples is inconsistent, thus requiring future investigations.

HOW does veganism contribute to shape sustainable food systems? Practices, meanings and identities of vegan restaurants in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Abstract This article discusses if and how the practices of vegan restaurants and their consumers converge towards the construction of sustainable food systems. Analysis is supported by concepts issue from Practice Theory and is based on data collected between October 2018 and April 2019 with owners, chefs, nutritionists, managers, and consumers of vegan restaurants in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The research identified and classified three arrangements of practices: production-consumption reconnection, food and nutritional security, and political engagement. Results highlight that, despite a weak engagement with vegan and other food movements, vegan restaurants (and their consumers) develop several practices that contribute to shape more sustainable models of food production, distribution, and consumption.

Searching for and Perception of Information by Consumers in the Light of the Sustainable Consumption Idea — On the Example of Food Markets

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present the sources of information about food, the cost of collecting the information and the perception of messages by consumers in the light of the sustainable food consumption idea. We used primary materials from a direct, personal survey which were later analyzed with the use of Berelson’s content analysis method. We found that a consumer shows low interest in sourcing the information about sustainable food consumption. The most credible, from the consumer’s point of view, information about food, consumption and the food market, comes from reports and scientific papers, as well as from the consumers’ families or friends. Gathering information is connected with devoting time which we spend on finding the right content. The information connected to environmental issues was the most distinctive for the respondents; other categories of information concerned the waste of food, shopping planning, the direction of changes, personal health issues and the influence of food products on one’s health, as well as consumption in connection with recommendations concerning health (among others, in the scope of nutrition, recommendations and specialistic advices). The knowledge of the most credible sources of the information about food consumption, the frequency of acquiring such knowledge, the costs of gathering information and the perception of messages should be reflected in properly chosen communication channels for the promotion of sustainable food consumption. In the research over sustainable food consumption we should focus more on our information needs. The network approach and the perspective of active engagement of consumers in the process of creating innovations in food products give us a new approach for the market analysis, popularization of the idea of sustainable food consumption and let us change some deeply rooted habits and behaviors of consumers. As a result of such engagement, consumers will be more willing to cooperate and trust one another, and thanks to the feeling of social effectiveness, they will be more interested in the development of the sustainable food consumption model and food policy.

Development and validation of a scale for identification of quality attributes of agri-food products in short chains

The quality of the agri-food product, as well as the attributes that define it, has been developed for decades, where discussions around the theme turned to questions related to the standardization of attributes. It should be noted that the theoretical lines associated with the theme are derived from production systems models where production productivity and distribution on a global scale are the guiding principles of food production. Currently, there is greater demand for products coming from a model that contrasts with the global-scale production model, which emphasizes the aspects of standardization of products and processes. This new model of food consumption highlights specific characteristics of product quality related to the location and proximity to the producer. Discussions about product quality in this new model of production and consumption (agri-food short chains) are recent and need a theoretical and practical deepening, in view of the new demands of consumers for these products. This paper aims to present the development and validation of a scale with quality attributes from the consumer point of view applied specifically to food and beverage products characterized by agri-food short chains. Items were generated (27 quality attributes) from an extensive theoretical review (quality conventions), subjected to face validation, and then used to collect data from 904 consumers in short food distribution channels in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The data were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, which resulted in a final scale composed of 20 quality attributes comprising, domestic, civic, regard, institutional, and market conventions.

A values–beliefs–attitude model of local food consumption: An empirical study in China and Denmark

Consumers’ and policy makers’ interest in local foods is growing. Accordingly, researchers are also increasingly paying attention to the consumption of local foods. Studies have identified preference for local foods as an emergent consumer ideology called “locavorism”, but they have not yet addressed its antecedents or put it into a theoretical context. In addition, extant research provides several insights into local food buying behaviour in developed economies (e.g., USA, UK, Germany, or Italy); however, studies simultaneously conducted in developed and emerging economies are lacking. To address these research gaps, this study develops a conceptual framework with proposed relationships among values, beliefs (locavorism and fresh start mindset), and attitudes towards and intentions to purchase local foods in China and Denmark. We conducted an online survey in China and Denmark that evaluated our constructs with pre-developed multiple-item measures. Using structural equation modelling to test the integrated model, we find that values and long-term orientation are antecedents of consumer beliefs but the influences of values on consumer beliefs differ between collectivistic-dominated China and individualistic-dominated Denmark. Specifically, collectivistic values are significantly and positively related to locavorism in both countries, while individualistic values are strongly linked to locavorism only in Denmark; collectivistic values have no effects on fresh start mindset for the two samples, but individualistic values are significantly and positively related to a fresh start mindset in Denmark. In addition, consumer beliefs are significantly and positively associated with attitudes towards and intentions to buy local foods. Local food marketers can use our findings to target their communications more effectively.

Co-Creating Value in Sustainable and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of Community Supported Agriculture in New Zealand

Background: Over recent decades, society has been facing different social, political, and economic challenges that are changing classical consumption dynamics towards more sustainable practices, mostly in the field of food consumption. In particular, alternative food networks are enabling new food consumption models inspired by principles of participation and sustainability. The aim of this study was to explore how community supported agriculture farms create value for sustainability practices from both farmer and consumer perspectives in order to find new levers to engage consumers towards pursuing better food consumption models. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted following focused ethnography principles. Results: The results show that community supported agriculture is a complex concept based on the active participation of consumers as carers of economic, social, and environmental values. These values are all strongly connected, and together contribute to create an ecosystem where sustainable food practices can be promoted through a “learning by doing” process. Conclusions: This research offers new ways to re-connect and collaborate with consumers in the era of sustainable food consumption.

Lisdexamfetamine suppresses instrumental and consummatory behaviors supported by foods with varying degrees of palatability: Exploration of a binge-like eating model

Diets high in sugar or fat are associated with multiple health conditions, including binge eating disorder (BED). BED affects approximately 2% of the US adult population, and occurs more frequently in females. It is important to develop animal models of palatable food consumption and food seeking that may have relevance for BED and other conditions associated with excessive food intake. The catecholamine uptake blocker and d-amphetamine prodrug lisdexamfetamine is used to treat BED. The present experiments studied the effect of lisdexamfetamine on food intake and food-reinforced effort-based choice in female Wistar rats. Three groups of rats received different food exposure conditions in the home cage randomly spread over several weeks: a chocolate exposure group (CE; brief access of chocolate and additional lab chow, n = 15), a lab chow exposure (LChE) group given additional access to lab chow (n = 8), and a third group given empty food dishes (n = 7). In tests of food intake under non-restricted conditions, lisdexamfetamine (0.1875–1.5 mg/kg IP) significantly reduced intake of both chocolate and chow in the CE group. In the LChE group, there was a trend towards reduced chow intake induced by lisdexamfetamine. All rats were trained on a Progressive Ratio/chow feeding choice task, in which they had a choice between working for high carbohydrate chocolate flavored pellets by lever pressing vs. approaching and consuming a concurrently available lab chow. The LChE group and the empty food dish group were combined to create one control group (n = 15). There was a significant overall dose-related suppressive effect of lisdexamfetamine on lever pressing but no group difference, and no dose x group interaction. Lisdexamfetamine significantly decreased chow intake in the CE group, but not in the control group. In conclusion, lisdexamfetamine affected both food intake and food-reinforced operant behavior, with larger effects seen in the group exposed to chocolate.

What’s Beyond Energy? How to Integrate Environmental and Health Challenges in Climate Change Agreements: The Case of Livestock Production and the Feedstuffs Trade

Climate change policy is focused on the de-carbonization of the economy. Little is said about the impact of agriculture on climate change beyond CO2 emissions, and how our model of food consumption, too focused as it is on livestock products, also has other negative impacts on the environment and human health. This impact, due to the intensive international trade of feedstuff, is not equally distributed between the global south (feed producer) and protein importing countries (meat consumers). Consumers are not well informed about the environmental/health impact of feedstuff production, particularly abroad, which constitutes a typical case of market dysfunction due to information asymmetry. This paper explores the possibilities offered by WTO law to introduce label/traceability requirements in animal feed/food chains, in particular the evolution of the case-law on process and production methods and the likeness test. It concludes that there are no legal obstacles in international trade law to establish an integrated (climate change/health) information system to explain consumers the comprehensive impact of their choices, domestically and abroad, along the whole production chain.

Почему неполноценное питание продолжает оставаться нормой? Изучение представлений и практик матерей в Бишкеке

До настоящего момента в Киргизии не проводилось количественных исследований факторов, влияющих на пищевое поведение детей или на их физическое, когнитивное, эмоциональное и социальное развитие. В представленном в статье качественном исследовании рассматривается роль, которую родители, дедушки и бабушки, другие члены и нечлены семьи, а также маркетинг продуктов питания, социальные нормы и факторы, связанные с детьми, могут играть в пищевом поведении детей. Исследование проведено в Бишкеке весной 2018 г., в двух этапах исследования приняли участие 20 человек. Результаты показали, что у матерей наблюдаются ограниченные знания о правильных методах кормления. Они считают эти знания несущественными и нереализуемыми на практике для постоянного поддержания в долгосрочной перспективе. Участницы продемонстрировали слабое понимание последствий ведения неоптимальной диеты и не понимали, что они будут служить образцом для подражания для своих детей, когда речь идет о потреблении пищи. Согласно полученным качественным данным, принятие решений о практиках кормления основано на идеях о том, что составляет семейный баланс и поддерживает консервативный (традиционный) образ жизни, а не на потребностях и соответствии с нормами возраста ребенка. На практики кормления влияют такие важные факторы, как оперирование недостоверными знаниями о правильном питании ребенка, культурное отношение родителей к определенным группам продуктов, влияние старших членов семьи, которому не все родители могут или хотят противостоять, нецелесообразность правильного питания, отсутствие времени, денег и желания менять привычки.
 Благодарность. Особая благодарность выражается финансовой поддержке Проекта Агентства США по Международному Развитию «Строя будущее» (USAID "Building the Future"), без которой данный проект не мог бы быть реализован.

Impact of information and communication technologies in agroecological cooperativism in Catalonia

In Catalonia, agroecological cooperativism is part of a set of alternatives that appeared as a response to the current hegemonic food consumption model, controlled by large commercial establishments. It is defined by its promotion of short food supply chains (SFSCs), operates under the values of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) and holds a strong political commitment. This article, on the one hand, studies the setup of agroecological cooperativism understood as the outcome of a network of producers, intermediaries and consumers and, on the other hand, examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the development of this consumption model. The data has been obtained through on-site interviews and online research on the 56 consumer groups and cooperatives present in Barcelona. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis have been used to study them. The results prove the salient role that ICT has as a facilitator in the relational network established between the agents that take part in it, thus becoming a key characteristic element of the new agroecological consumer cooperativism.

“Why do you dine at Korean restaurants?” An ethnic food consumption model approach

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to examine how people choose an ethnic restaurant based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to uncover factors that influence consumer decision-making in ethnic food consumption situations, particularly Korean food. Specifically, this study extended the original TPB model by incorporating consumer values and other variables that are theoretically related to the attitude formation, including familiarity and affective country image. The results showed that economic value, quality value, epistemic values, and familiarity were significant factors affecting consumer attitudes toward dining at Korean restaurants. Also, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control significantly influenced consumer intentions to dine at Korean restaurants.

Testing an attribute-benefit-value-intention (ABVI) model of local food consumption as perceived by foreign tourists

PurposeThis study aims to examine the attribute-benefit-value-intention (ABVI) model of local food consumption as perceived by foreign tourists. The model was designed to test the structural relationships between local food attributes, perceived benefits, consumption value and behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe structural relationships of foreign tourists’ perceptions of local food consumption were conceptualized, and hypotheses were proposed. The main survey was conducted using a large sample of 1,323 tourists in Hong Kong.Findings“Food quality”, “food novelty” and “restaurant quality” significantly affected “emotional” and “epistemic benefit”. “Emotional benefit” had a significant effect on “consumption value” and “behavioral intention”, while “epistemic benefit” only influenced “consumption value”.Practical implicationsLocal food marketers and DMOs need to promote the product features that are relevant to tourists’ benefits. Restaurant marketers need to develop distinctive strategies for tourists from different national backgrounds.Originality/valueThis study proposed and empirically tested a new model of tourists’ local food consumption, including two benefits, consumption value and behavioral intention.

How to promote a new and sustainable food consumption model: A fuzzy cognitive map study

The amount of food wastage produced at the global level generates high environmental, economic and social costs, such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, waste generation, consumption of natural resources, as well as economic losses, inequality and poverty. Taking stock of these problems, this paper conducts an empirical investigation in order to identify and recommend the most effective policy actions and private initiatives that might modify the current unsustainable food consumption model, characterizing high income countries, in order to achieve a significant reduction in the amount of food wastage. Specifically, it performs a fuzzy inference simulation by means of a three-step methodology: analyzing the use of language within the food waste reduction/valorization debate to identify system variables; deducing the map of causal-effect relationships among the identified system variables through interviews to a pool of experts; and finally, performing a fuzzy inference simulation, to identify drivers potentially able to discourage current unsustainable consumer behaviors. Among other things, the fuzzy analysis shows how some policy drivers, as “Public food waste rules”, “Investments and infrastructure” and “Small-scale farming” are particularly effective in supporting a new and sustainable food consumption model. At the same time, the experts' knowledge allows highlighting the crucial role of “biorefinery” in fostering a transition towards a sustainable consumption model. This is an interesting result, as it points at the ability of biorefineries to enhance a general positive attitude of consumers which, in turn, would translate into more sustainable consumption practices.

Predation by introduced fish can magnify the terrestrial arthropod subsidies in mountain lakes

A portion of the terrestrial subsidies to lentic habitats consists of arthropods. In high mountain, originally fishless lakes, terrestrial arthropods are an important seasonal food resource for introduced fish. Here we investigate how brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) can alter the input of terrestrial arthropods in 10 high mountain lakes contrasting for their stocking history (with and without fish or manipulated for fish eradication). We used a food consumption model to calculate the minimum and maximum number or biomass of arthropods consumed by fish, and we found that they can exceed, by several folds, the number or biomass of arthropods sinking into the lakes, at least under the metabolic rates expected for fish for most of the summer. We interpret this result as an indirect indication that arthropods usually cannot overcome the surface tension at the lake surface and that fish can work as a vector across the water–air interface. We infer that pathways for dead and live arthropods to leave the lakes do exist and fish can transfer into the water column many arthropods whose fate was leaving the lakes, which may have overlooked ecological and conservation implications.

The role of environmentally conscious purchase behaviour and green scepticism in organic food consumption

PurposeDespite numerous scholarly attempts, there is a lack of consensus regarding the relevance of various factors used to promote organic food consumption. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of environmentally conscious purchase behaviour (ECPB) and green scepticism on organic food consumption. Moreover, the paper examines the indirect impact of attitudinal and contextual forces on organic food consumption (through ECPB).Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a conceptual model of organic food consumption. Data were collected through an online survey on a sample of 462 consumers in Slovenia. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe findings indicate that ECPB positively and green scepticism negatively affects organic food consumption. In addition, ECPB is positively influenced by personal and social norms, perceived availability and consumer sustainability orientation. Interestingly, the social norms exert the strongest indirect effect on organic food consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThis study informs organic food producers and policy makers about the relative importance of ECPB and scepticism for increasing organic food consumption. It also highlights the role of general attitudinal and contextual factors for ECPB and organic food consumption.Originality/valueThe proposed model enables a better understanding of the relevance of ECPB, its antecedents and green scepticism as (direct or indirect) determinants of organic food consumption.

Determinants of Ready-to-eat Products Purchase Intentions: An Empirical Study among the Italian Consumers

The considerable diffusion of ready-to-eat products has focused attention on the reasons for their increasingly prominent success in the market. Although their prices are much higher than the prices of simple raw materials, their consumption has increased rapidly and with no end in sight, a situation that has challenged the conclusions of the classical literature on the importance of price and/or income in consumer decisions. In fact, more recent literature has broadened the classical vision by introducing potential additional variables that could influence consumer choice of certain foods. These variables, however, are not always easy and clear to identify because they reflect the cultural characteristics of a society. For this reason, the French scholar Malassis has introduced the concept of a model of food consumption, which, in fact, stems from a concept of food consumption as driven by factors that are not the same for all the societies that might be studied. Among these variables, regarding the consumption of ready-to-eat products, a factor that certainly acts as a driving force in an increasingly frenetic and dynamic society is the time saving that they are able to provide. Thus, it was considered essential to analyze this in a concrete way, through the variance analysis of a sample of 77 subjects resident in the city of Palermo, noting their characteristics in terms of age, education level, and number of nuclear family members. The results obtained indicate that subjects who consumed ready-to-eat products at a higher frequency belonged to a higher age group, had a higher level of education, and belonged to a family that was not particularly numerous. With these results, it can be stated that the consumption of ready-to-eat products is influenced by people’s need to optimize their available time, considered as a real, scarce resource.

Spożycie nasion roślin strączkowych w Polsce jako element modelu zrównoważonej konsumpcji żywności

The sustaintable food consumption model, developed by such organisations as FAO, WHO and WWF assumes an increased share of products of plant origin in everyday nutrition. It is essential to promote new consumption patterns due to the impact that overconsumption and industrial production, especially of animal products has on the natural environment, including climate. The model points out an urgent need to increase the consumption of pulses – rich and affordable source of protein. In Poland their intake is very low, according to GUS household budget data – 0,9 kg/capita/year. Results of a study conducted among students shows that the consumption of pulses is mainly determined by taste and the product is seen as an available and cheap. It is important for young people to gain knowledge about the nutritional value and beneficial influence of pulses on the environment in order for them to become more motivated to choose to eat pulses every day.

Diel vertical interactions between Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and sprat Sprattus sprattus in a stratified water column

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 583:195-209 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12319 Diel vertical interactions between Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and sprat Sprattus sprattus in a stratified water column Niels G. Andersen*, Bo Lundgren, Stefan Neuenfeldt, Jan E. Beyer Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU-Aqua), Charlottenlund Castle, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark *Corresponding author: nga@aqua.dtu.dk ABSTRACT: Information about species interactions at a spatial scale comparable to the perceptive abilities of the involved species is crucial for establishment of predictive food consumption models at the population level. Nevertheless, such information is sparse due to methodological constraints. We studied the diel vertical dynamics of species interactions between Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and its major clupeid prey, sprat Sprattus sprattus, at a location in the Bornholm Basin of the central Baltic Sea during late winter. This was accomplished by combining acoustic information on diel vertical fish distribution, time of ingestion of individual sprat estimated from cod stomach content data and observed vertical profiles of salinity, temperature and oxygen content. Predation by cod took place primarily at dusk and dawn during ascent and descent of sprat associated with school dissolution and formation, respectively. Cod resided close to the bottom outside these temporal predation windows. Sprat schools were located at the same depth as cod in the daylight hours, whereas at night dispersed sprat were situated higher in the water column. These vertical dynamics could be explained by fitness optimization using bioenergetics and trade-offs between temperature, oxygen saturation of the water and predation risk. This study forms a first step towards providing a mechanistic background for the predatory impact of cod at the basin scale and beyond. KEY WORDS: Baltic Sea · Stomach content dynamics · Diel feeding cycle · Bioacoustics · Hydrography · Winter situation · Bioenergetics · Fitness optimization Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Andersen NG, Lundgren B, Neuenfeldt S, Beyer JE (2017) Diel vertical interactions between Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and sprat Sprattus sprattus in a stratified water column. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 583:195-209. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12319 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 583. Online publication date: November 16, 2017 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

A Potential Animal Model of Maladaptive Palatable Food Consumption Followed by Delayed Discomfort.

Introduction: Binging is the consumption of larger amounts of food in a briefer period of time than would normally be consumed under similar circumstances. Binging requires palatable food (PF) to trigger abnormal eating, probably reflecting gene × environment interactions. In this study we examined the impact of trait binge eating (BE) and its compulsive nature on the conflict between hedonic eating of PF and anticipation of a delayed aversive effect. We used female rats as an animal model similar to other models of BE. A novel aspect of this model in this paper is the use of a delayed internal aversive effect produced by lactose ingestion. Establishing this model will allow us to better understand the nature of the conflict between immediate reward and its delayed aversive implications. We hypothesized that BE prone (BEP) rats will demonstrate maladaptive decision making, presenting higher motivation toward PF even when this is associated with delayed discomfort.Method: (Phase 1) 52 female adult Wistar rats were divided to two eating profiles: resistant and prone binge eaters (BER/BEP) based on intake of liquid PF (Ensure). Next, all subjects underwent a Lactose Conditioning Protocol (LCP) that included 4 h tests, one baseline and 3 conditioning days (Phase 2), in which solid PF (Oreo cookies) was paired with glucose (control-no internal aversive effect) or lactose, dissolved in liquid PF. Index for PF motivation was PF consumption during the 4 h LCP. To test for memory of lactose conditioning, we performed another LCP with glucose only (anticipation, but no actual lactose-induced discomfort), a week after the last conditioning session.Results: Lactose conditioned BEP showed higher motivation toward PF compared to lactose conditioned BER faced with delayed aversive effects. Only lactose conditioned BER rats devaluated the PF over LCP days, indicating an association between PF and abdominal discomfort. In addition, only lactose conditioned BER presented an adaptive dynamic behavior, by varying PF intake according to consequences. Furthermore, solid PF consumption was predicted by binge size of liquid PF, only for lactose conditioned rats.Conclusions: We established an animal model for a common eating conflict in humans using delayed internal aversive unconditional stimuli.