Role of sustainability attributes and occasion matters in determining consumers’ beef choice

• Published in: Food quality and preference 2021-03, Vol.88, p.104075, Article 104075
• Main Authors: Burnier, Pedro Carvalho, Spers, Eduardo Eugênio, Barcellos, Marcia Dutra de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consumer choice; Discrete choice analysis; Socio-environmental attributes; Sustainability; Willingness to pay
• ISSN: 0950-3293; 1873-6343
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104075

•Results confirm animal welfare and traceability importance during beef purchase.•Benefits of sustainability attributes provide scope for product market positioning.•Industry/retailer should explore GHG emissions and animal welfare, in communication.•Trade-offs between socio-environmental attributes allow in-depth evaluation. This study aims to evaluate the influence of socio-environmental attributes on the purchase intention of and the willingness to pay for beef, based on data from Brazilian consumers, using a discrete choice analysis model. Different consumption situations were analysed to check the influence of functional versus recreational/hedonic beef choice. Sixteen (16) hypothetical products were generated in eight (8) scenarios regarding the different socio-environmental attributes of beef. The findings confirm the importance of animal welfare and traceability in the decision-making process for beef purchase. The frequency of consumption, gender, and the presence of a known/familiar brand also influence the beef choice when making a functional (day-to-day) purchase, compared to a recreational/hedonic (barbecue) purchase. The study suggests that the beef industry and retailers should better explore various aspects of greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare and highlight them in their communication strategies. Investigating the trade-offs between socio-environmental attributes allows a more in-depth evaluation of these attributes and contributes to the literature.