No abstract

Sustainability is a complex and multifaceted concept that comprises environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Growing consumer concerns over the impacts of global meat production and consumption have led to increasing interest in sustainability initiatives and the use of sustainability labels. Yet, an understanding of what sustainability means to consumers in the context of meat and how consumers relate production-related credence attributes of chicken meat to sustainability remains limited. Between September 2019 and January 2020, an exploratory research study was conducted using a multi-method approach. Participants completed an online survey before participating in a series of eye-tracking choice tasks followed by in-depth interviews. The study revealed that the environmental dimension of sustainability is most important to consumers’ definition of a “sustainable food system”. Likewise, the sustainability of chicken meat products was most commonly associated with the perceived environmental impact of chicken meat production, followed by animal welfare aspects. Consumers made incorrect inferences about some sustainability labels and these inferences sometimes contributed to positive associations with sustainability. Consumers frequently associated a higher price with higher sustainability, indicating a belief that “doing the right thing” might cost more. This study provides new insights regarding consumers’ perceptions of production-related credence attributes and sustainability labels.

O desenvolvimento sustentável é um objetivo fundamentalmente coletivo, no qual ações isoladas surtem poucos efeitos. Por conseguinte, projetos de âmbito mundial visam o alinhamento de múltiplas ações isoladas em ações coletivas. Propostas, como a da Agenda 21, pretendem potencializar esforços com a participação de atores sociais. Sabe-se, todavia, que a governança da ação coletiva é um desafio, tanto para gestores, quanto para pesquisadores. O presente artigo tem como objetivo propor e analisar um conjunto de construtos que caracterize a governança coletiva do desenvolvimento sustentável local. É uma pesquisa exploratória que utiliza o método de estudo de multicasos. Seu campo empírico foi formado por quatro Fóruns do estado do RS, localizados nas cidades de São Lourenço do Sul, Gravataí, Ijuí e Vacaria. Os dados coletados levaram a cinco construtos: objetivos comuns, normas, envolvimento, recursos e comunicação. Tais resultados possibilitaram o aprimoramento da metodologia da Agenda 21 Nacional.

PurposeTo examine the market potential for lab-grown meat (LGM) in Australia by: (1) determining consumers' willingness to consume LGM; (2) exploring heterogeneity in both consumers' willingness to consume LGM and food choice values; and (3) characterizing unique consumer clusters (segments) using socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial factors.Design/methodology/approachLatent class cluster analysis was conducted using online survey data obtained from a nationally representative sample of 1,078 Australian food shoppers.FindingsSix consumer clusters were identified, each distinct in their degree of willingness to consume LGM and in their food choice values. Three clusters (49% of consumers) indicated some willingness to consume LGM. One segment, “Prospective LGM eaters” (12%), appeared “very willing” to consume LGM. These consumers were more likely to be younger (<35 years); university-educated; have greater prior awareness of LGM; stronger beliefs regarding the potential self- and society-related benefits of growing demand for LGM; and higher trust in diverse information sources.Practical implicationsInsights on the characteristics of each cluster provide useful information for the industry on how to tailor product development and marketing strategies to address the needs of consumers with the greatest potential to consume LGM.Originality/valueThis is the first consumer research on the topic of LGM to explore market opportunities for LGM in Australia using a nationally representative consumer sample.

No abstract