Chinese urban consumers' experience and consumption behavior with edible non-wood forest products

Abstract

Consumers globally have a long history engaging with edible non-wood forest products in both rural and urban settings, and involving diverse consumption practices. While edible non-wood forest products offer critical provisioning and cultural ecosystem services, current literature primarily emphasizes the conventional economic significance in rural areas, neglecting urban consumption patterns. This thesis aims to investigate the forms and drivers behind urban consumers’ experience and consumption behavior with edible non-wood forest products in the regional Chinese market. It explores urban consumer behavior around three key aspects: consumer purchasing, foraging, and pro-environmental consumption behavior of wild/cultivated non-wood forest products. Building upon the theoretical background of ecosystem services and the Motivation–Opportunity–Ability model, supported by the Theory of Planned Behavior model, this thesis lays out a conceptual framework of the driving factors of the consumption behavior. A mixed methods approach was employed methodologically, including the logistic regression analysis, a qualitative thematic analysis, and the structural equation model. The findings reported in three articles I-III reveal diverse patterns in urban consumer consumption behavior concerning edible non-wood forest products, emphasizing the urban-rural nexus around these products. Motivation, opportunities, and abilities emerge as key drivers of consumption behavior. Pragmatism and sustainability dominate self-consumption purchases for tea, while Chinese mianzi and renqing motives prevail in gift-giving (I). A greater diversity of motivation exists in berry-picking, particularly among younger urban families (II). Social norms and culture are influential in shaping consumer attitudes (I, II, III). High-quality product availabilities, convenience, services, and social media marketing channels offered by producers and distributors constitute vital consumption opportunities (II, III). Additional actors such as local networks will be supportive (II). Personal knowledge and consumer habits also shape consumption behavior (III). These findings provide managerial implications for farmers, marketers, and policy makers, encouraging further research in this area.