Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-05, Vol.12 (10), p.4093
Main Authors: Eldesouky, Ali, Mesias, Francisco J., Escribano, Miguel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal welfare
Beef
Climate change
Consumers
Data collection
Decision making
Demographics
Emission standards
Environmental impact
Ethics
Food products
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Literature reviews
Meat
Meat production
Preferences
Production methods
Purchasing
Researchers
Studies
Sustainability
Sustainable development
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12104093