How Zoomers’ Eating Habits Should be Considered in Shaping the Food System for 2030—A Case Study on the Young Generation from Romania

Abstract

Is the Food System prepared for 2030? Considering that Zoomers (Generation Z) will be the largest global cohort in the world at that time, the purpose of the study is to identify what can be learned now from their eating habits to diversify and create a more resilient Food System prepared for the future. Researchers have discovered that the Food System should encourage sustainable and healthier food production by empowering a resilient local production. These changes are aligned with Zoomer preferences for local and organic food, considering their moral, ethical, and economic implications. To gather data, a quantitative investigation was performed among university students from Romania using an online survey in which 343 responses were recorded. A direct logistic regression was performed, similar to the one presented by Wilson and Lorenz (2015), to assess the impact of factors on the changing eating habits of Zoomers. The results showed significant changes in the diet of Zoomers who are facing an increased internationalization of the food consumption; they seek convenience but are also more eager to consume healthy food. For a more resilient Food System, special importance should be given to these preferences, through local and organic production, improving delivery methods, and enhancing the food experience in a responsible and ethical manner in order to prepare it for the next majoritarian cohort. These findings can be further developed by adapting the current Food System to emerging food eating habits and also by addressing how Zoomers’ food choices can improve the environmental impact of the Food System.

Influencing Factors of a Sustainable Vegetable Choice. The Romanian Consumers’ Case

“…Furthermore, the results suggest that the social aspect of sustainability [26] is the most pregnant one in the Romanian consumers' conscience as buying local vegetables is a direct aid for the local producers. These results cannot confirm Bumbac et al [38] since the age differences in preferring organic and local vegetables are not significant, nevertheless, they are encouraging given the fact that there are promoters of a sustainable diet in every age category.…”

“…However, they do not know, very well, what are the quality criteria that should be considered in their choice, confirming the studies that claim a significant need for education towards sustainable and healthy consumption patterns [76,77]. Based on these results, the results of [38] are confirmed, younger consumers having a higher interest in local and organic grown food.…”

“…Some of these identified factors are biological (hunger level, taste) [1,78,79], physical (access to food, available time or even cooking skills) [78], economic (income, availability of food) [79], social (family, education, culture) [6,79], psychological (stress level, mood, guilt) [74][75][76] and attitudes, beliefs or knowledge related to food [80,81]. Some authors recommend differentiating the public recommendations towards sustainable diets by age groups since the young adults are more likely to pursue such recommendations [38,82]. While [83] see an opportunity in promoting plant-based diets to the elderly, since they are inclined to accept them rather than other food consumption alternatives.…”

“…The country is working on solving some critical problems such as social polarization [34], a rate of 32.5% of the people being exposed to the risk of extreme poverty [35] and an average Gross Domestic Product equal to one-fifth of the EU average [36], hence the purpose of this study is to determine the possibility of the Romanian population to meet the dietary recommendations regarding the vegetable consumption, and if not, what are the main barriers perceived by the Romanian consumers. Some studies provide that Romania's consumption pattern is heavily based on traditional meat dishes and has a low presence of environmental concern [37], but that the young population prefers the organic and local grown food [38]. Moreover, the income serves as the prime factor in the choice of food for Romanians [39].…”

GMO Food Labels Do Not Affect College Student Food Selection, Despite Negative Attitudes towards GMOs

“…Both participant samples are representative of the state's population in terms of race/ethnicity [32]. Additionally, within both samples, the majority of participants were within the age range to be considered members of Generation Z, which is a highly influential, yet understudied population within the food selection literature [26,27]. The research team obtained approval from its institutional review board prior to data collection, and all participants were required to sign an informed consent document before engaging in study activities.…”