Consumer Values, Attitudes, and Behavior towards Plant-Based Alternatives
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development
2.1. Literature Review
2.1.1. Plant-Based Alternatives (PBAs)
2.1.2. Value–Attitude–Behavior (VAB) Framework
2.2. Hypothesis Development
2.2.1. Values (Health Consciousness, Environmental Consciousness) and Attitudes toward PBAs
2.2.2. Attitudes toward PBAs and PBAs Repurchase Intention
2.2.3. Attitudes toward PBAs and PBA Restaurant Visits
2.2.4. PBA Repurchase Intention and PBA Restaurant Visits
3. Material and Methods
3.1. Data Collection and Sampling Methods
3.2. Data Analysis
4. Results and Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Xu, X.; Sharma, P.; Shu, S.; Lin, T.-S.; Ciais, P.; Tubiello, F.N.; Smith, P.; Campbell, N.; Jain, A.K. Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. Nat. Food 2021, 2, 724–732. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Poore, J.; Nemecek, T. Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science 2018, 360, 987–992. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lund-Durlacher, D.; Gössling, S. An analysis of Austria’s food service sector in the context of climate change. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2021, 34, 100342. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ye, T.; Mattila, A.S. The effect of ad appeals and message framing on consumer responses to plant-based menu items. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2021, 95, 102917. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Failla, J. FLUID SITUATION: More restaurants feature plant-based milk options on the menu. Prep. Foods 2020, 189, 26–28. [Google Scholar]
- Ismail, B.P.; Senaratne-Lenagala, L.; Stube, A.; Brackenridge, A. Protein demand: Review of plant and animal proteins used in alternative protein product development and production. Anim. Front. 2020, 10, 53–63. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vainio, A. How consumers of meat-based and plant-based diets attend to scientific and commercial information sources: Eating motives, the need for cognition and ability to evaluate information. Appetite 2019, 138, 72–79. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bakr, Y.; Al-Bloushi, H.; Mostafa, M. Consumer intention to buy plant-based meat alternatives: A cross-cultural analysis. J. Int. Consum. Mark. 2023, 35, 420–435. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Marcus, N.; Klink-Lehmann, J.; Hartmann, M. Exploring factors determining German consumers’ intention to eat meat alternatives. Food Qual. Prefer. 2022, 100, 104610. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Grunert, S.C.; Juhl, H.J. Values, environmental attitudes, and buying of organic foods. J. Econ. Psychol. 1995, 16, 39–62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fehér, A.; Gazdecki, M.; Véha, M.; Szakály, M.; Szakály, Z. A Comprehensive Review of the Benefits of and the Barriers to the Switch to a Plant-Based Diet. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4136. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bryant, C.J. We can’t keep meating like this: Attitudes towards vegetarian and vegan diets in the United Kingdom. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6844. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, Y.Y.; Hughes, J.; Grafenauer, S. Got Mylk? The emerging role of Australian plant-based milk alternatives as a cow’s milk substitute. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1254. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Thøgersen, J.; De Barcellos, M.D.; Perin, M.G.; Zhou, Y. Consumer buying motives and attitudes towards organic food in two emerging markets: China and Brazil. Int. Market. Rev. 2015, 32, 389–413. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brouwer, A.R.; D’Souza, C.; Singaraju, S.; Arango-Soler, L.A. Value attitude behaviour and social stigma in the adoption of veganism: An integrated model. Food Qual. Prefer. 2022, 97, 104479. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sadiq, M.; Adil, M.; Paul, J. Eco-friendly hotel stay and environmental attitude: A value-attitude-behaviour perspective. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2022, 100, 103094. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Homer, P.M.; Kahle, L.R. A structural equation test of the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1988, 54, 638. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kautish, P.; Sharma, R. Value orientation, green attitude and green behavioral intentions: An empirical investigation among young consumers. Young. Consum. 2019, 20, 338–358. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tan, L.L.; Abd Aziz, N.; Ngah, A.H. Mediating effect of reasons on the relationship between altruism and green hotel patronage intention. J. Market. Anal. 2020, 8, 18–30. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Verma, V.K.; Chandra, B.; Kumar, S. Values and ascribed responsibility to predict consumers’ attitude and concern towards green hotel visit intention. J. Bus. Res. 2019, 96, 206–216. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Magnusson, M.K.; Arvola, A.; Hursti, U.-K.K.; Åberg, L.; Sjödén, P.-O. Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Appetite 2003, 40, 109–117. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Rahman, I.; Reynolds, D. The influence of values and attitudes on green consumer behavior: A conceptual model of green hotel patronage. Int. J. Hosp. Tour. Adm. 2019, 20, 47–74. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Birch, D.; Memery, J. Tourists, local food and the intention-behaviour gap. Tour. Hosp. Res. 2020, 43, 53–61. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Park, M.S.; Park, S.H.; Lee, Y.S. Current Status of Alternative Foods and Countermeasures; Korea Rural Economic Institute: Naju, Republic of Korea, 2020; pp. 1–17. [Google Scholar]
- STATISTA. Volume of the Meat Substitutes Market Worldwide from 2019 to 2029 (In Million Kilograms). Available online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1276467/worldwide-meat-substitute-consumption/#statisticContainer (accessed on 27 June 2024).
- STATISTA. Revenue of Milk Alternatives Worldwide in 2024, by Region (In Billion U.S. Dollars). Available online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1278546/retail-sales-value-of-milk-and-milk-alternative-worldwide/ (accessed on 31 July 2024).
- STATISTA. Meat Substitute Market Size in South Korea from 2016 to 2025 (in Million U.S. Dollars). Available online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249233/south-korea-milk-alternatives-market-size/ (accessed on 25 June 2024).
- Michel, F.; Hartmann, C.; Siegrist, M. Consumers’ associations, perceptions and acceptance of meat and plant-based meat alternatives. Food Qual. Prefer. 2021, 87, 104063. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Röös, E.; Patel, M.; Spångberg, J. Producing oat drink or cow’s milk on a Swedish farm—Environmental impacts considering the service of grazing, the opportunity cost of land and the demand for beef and protein. Agric. Syst. 2016, 142, 23–32. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sethi, S.; Tyagi, S.K.; Anurag, R.K. Plant-based milk alternatives an emerging segment of functional beverages: A review. J. Food Sci. Technol. 2016, 53, 3408–3423. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Gómez, I.; Ibañez, F.C.; Beriain, M.J. Physicochemical and sensory properties of sous vide meat and meat analog products marinated and cooked at different temperature-time combinations. Int. J. Food Prop. 2019, 22, 1693–1708. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tangyu, M.; Muller, J.; Bolten, C.J.; Wittmann, C. Fermentation of plant-based milk alternatives for improved flavour and nutritional value. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2019, 103, 9263–9275. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Aschemann-Witzel, J.; Gantriis, R.F.; Fraga, P.; Perez-Cueto, F.J. Plant-based food and protein trend from a business perspective: Markets, consumers, and the challenges and opportunities in the future. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2021, 61, 3119–3128. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Starowicz, M.; Poznar, K.K.; Zieliński, H. What are the main sensory attributes that determine the acceptance of meat alternatives? Curr. Opin. Food Sci. 2022, 48, 100924. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ploll, U.; Stern, T. From diet to behaviour: Exploring environmental-and animal-conscious behaviour among Austrian vegetarians and vegans. Br. Food J. 2020, 122, 3249–3265. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schwartz, S.H. Words, deeds and the perception of consequences and responsibility in action situations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1968, 10, 232. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vaske, J.J.; Donnelly, M.P. A value-attitude-behavior model predicting wildland preservation voting intentions. Soc. Nat. Resour. 1999, 12, 523–537. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Beatty, S.E.; Kahle, L.R.; Homer, P.; Misra, S. Alternative measurement approaches to consumer values: The list of values and the Rokeach value survey. Psychol. Mark. 1985, 2, 181–200. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kahle, L.R. Stimulus condition self-selection by males in the interaction of locus of control and skill–chance situations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1980, 38, 50. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Becker, M.H.; Haefner, D.P.; Kasl, S.V.; Kirscht, J.P.; Maiman, L.A.; Rosenstock, I.M. Selected psychosocial models and correlates of individual health-related behaviors. Med. Care 1977, 15, 27–46. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Zujko, M.E.; Witkowska, A.M. Antioxidant potential and polyphenol content of beverages, chocolates, nuts, and seeds. Int. J. Food Prop. 2014, 17, 86–92. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rondoni, A.; Grebitus, C.; Millan, E.; Asioli, D. Exploring consumers’ perceptions of plant-based eggs using concept mapping and semantic network analysis. Food Qual. Prefer. 2021, 94, 104327. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tobler, C.; Visschers, V.H.; Siegrist, M. Eating green. Consumers’ willingness to adopt ecological food consumption behaviors. Appetite 2011, 57, 674–682. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kumar, G.A. Framing a model for green buying behavior of Indian consumers: From the lenses of the theory of planned behavior. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 295, 126487. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Szenderak, J.; Frona, D.; Rakos, M. Consumer acceptance of plant-based meat substitutes: A narrative review. Foods 2022, 11, 1274. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Profeta, A.; Baune, M.-C.; Smetana, S.; Bornkessel, S.; Heinz, V.; Terjung, N.; Enneking, U.; Broucke, K.; Van Royen, G.; Weiss, J.; et al. Preferences of german consumers for meat products blended with plant-based proteins. Sustainability 2021, 13, 650. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dembkowski, S. The environmental value-attitude-system model understanding the divergence between stated environmental consciousness and overt consumer behaviour. Eco-Manag. Audit. 1998, 5, 62–74. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mintu-Wimsatt, A.T. Environmental Marketing: Strategies, Practice, Theory, and Research; Haworth Press: Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1995. [Google Scholar]
- Alibeli, M.; Johnson, C. Environmental Concern: A Cross National Analysis. J. Int. Cross-Cult. Stud. 2009, 3, 1. [Google Scholar]
- Kim, Y.; Choi, S.M. Antecedents of Green Purchase Behavior: An Examination of Collectivism, Environmental Concern, and PCE. Adv. Consum. Res. 2005, 32, 592. [Google Scholar]
- Armstrong, G.; Kotler, P. Principle of Marketing; Prentice Hall: New York, NY, USA, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Pandey, S.; Ritz, C.; Perez-Cueto, F.J.A. An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Predict Intention to Consume Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives. Foods 2021, 10, 148. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dhir, A.; Sadiq, M.; Talwar, S.; Sakashita, M.; Kaur, P. Why do retail consumers buy green apparel? A knowledge-attitude-behaviour-context perspective. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 2021, 59, 102398. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nguyen, T.T.H.; Yang, Z.; Nguyen, N.; Johnson, L.W.; Cao, T.K. Greenwash and green purchase intention: The mediating role of green skepticism. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2653. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schäufele, I.; Janssen, M. How and why does the attitude-behavior gap differ between product categories of sustainable food? Analysis of organic food purchases based on household panel data. Front. Psychol. 2021, 12, 595636. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ajzen, I. The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 1991, 50, 179–211. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Singh, A.; Verma, P. Factors influencing Indian consumers’ actual buying behaviour towards organic food products. J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 167, 473. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Agag, G.; Colmekcioglu, N. Understanding guests’ behavior to visit green hotels: The role of ethical ideology and religiosity. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2020, 91, 102679. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chakraborty, D.; Siddiqui, A.; Siddiqui, M.; Alatawi, F.M.H. Exploring consumer purchase intentions and behavior of buying ayurveda products using SOBC framework. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 2022, 65, 102889. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hansen, T.; Sørensen, M.I.; Eriksen, M.-L.R. How the interplay between consumer motivations and values influences organic food identity and behavior. Food Policy 2018, 74, 39. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Namkung, Y.; Jang, S. Are Consumers Willing to Pay more for Green Practices at Restaurants? J. Host. Tour. Res. 2017, 41, 329. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tarkiainen, A.; Sundqvist, S. Subjective norms, attitudes and intentions of Finnish consumers in buying organic Food. Br. Food 2005, 107, 808. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schlegelmilch, B.B.; Bohlen, G.M.; Diamantopoulos, A. The link between green purchasing decisions and measures of environmental consciousness. Eur. J. Mark. 1996, 30, 35. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yadav, R.; Pathak, G.S. Intention to purchase organic food among young consumers: Evidences from a developing nation. Appetite 2016, 96, 122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fishbein, M.; Ajzen, I. Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research; Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA, USA, 1977. [Google Scholar]
- Chen, M.F. Consumer attitudes and purchase intentions in relation to organic foods in Taiwan: Moderating effects of food-related personality traits. Food Qual. Prefer. 2007, 18, 1008–1021. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zeithaml, V.A.; Berry, L.L.; Parasuraman, A. The Behavioral Consequences of Service Quality. J. Mark. 1996, 60, 31. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hair, J.F. Multivariate Data Analysis; Pearson: London, UK, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Nunnally, J.C. An Overview of Psychological Measurement. In Clinical Diagnosis of Mental Disorders: A Handbook; Springer: Boston, MA, USA, 1978; pp. 97–146. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fornell, C.; Larcker, D.F. Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. J. Mark. Res. 1981, 18, 39. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nguyen, N.P.T.; Dang, H.D. Organic food purchase decisions from a context-based behavioral reasoning approach. Appetite 2022, 173, 105975. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kopplin, C.S.; Rausch, T.M. Above and beyond meat: The role of consumers’ dietary behavior for the purchase of plant-based food substitutes. Rev. Manag. Sci. 2022, 16, 1335. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pingali, P.; Boiteau, J.; Choudhry, A.; Hall, A. Making meat and milk from plants: A review of plant-based food for human and planetary health. World Dev. 2023, 170, 106316. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Runte, M.; Guth, J.N.; Ammann, J. Consumers’ perception of plant-based alternatives and changes over time: A linguistic analysis across three countries and ten years. Food Qual. Prefer. 2024, 113, 105057. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schösler, H.; de Boer, J.; Boersema, J.J.; Aiking, H. Meat and masculinity among young Chinese, Turkish and Dutch adults in the Netherlands. Appetite 2015, 89, 152–159. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Sobal, J. Cultural comparison research designs in food, eating, and nutrition. Food Qual. Prefer. 1998, 9, 385–392. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Enriquez, J.P.; Archila-Godinez, J.C. Social and cultural influences on food choices: A review. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2022, 62, 3698–3704. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Talwar, S.; Dhir, A.; Kaur, P.; Mäntymäki, M. Why do people purchase from online travel agencies (OTAs)? A consumption values perspective. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2020, 88, 102534. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Demographic Characteristics | n | % | Demographic Characteristics | n | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | Marital Status | ||||
Male | 194 | 49.5 | Single | 213 | 52.0 |
Female | 198 | 50.5 | Married | 177 | 48.0 |
Others | 2 | 0.5 | |||
Age | Occupation | ||||
20–29 | 117 | 29.8 | Student | 35 | 8.9 |
30–39 | 117 | 29.8 | Office worker | 171 | 43.6 |
40–49 | 98 | 25.0 | Service worker | 32 | 8.2 |
Avove 50 | 60 | 15.3 | Public officer | 25 | 6.4 |
Education | Professional worker | 32 | 8.2 | ||
High school graduate or below | 42 | 10.7 | Self-employed | 28 | 7.1 |
College/University | 310 | 79.1 | Housewife | 45 | 11.5 |
Graduated school and above | 40 | 10.2 | Others | 24 | 6.1 |
Monthly household income | Household size | ||||
≤1999 thousand won | 50 | 12.8 | One person (self) | 85 | 21.7 |
2000–3999 thousand won | 182 | 46.4 | Two persons | 71 | 18.1 |
4000–5999 thousand won | 78 | 19.9 | Three persons | 96 | 24.5 |
6000–7999 thousand won | 51 | 13.0 | Four persons | 118 | 30.1 |
≥8000 thousand won | 31 | 7.9 | Five persons or more | 22 | 5.6 |
Constructs | M ± S.D. | Standardized Loading | AVE | CCR | Cronbach’s α | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V | HC | I choose food carefully for my health. | 5.10 ± 1.17 | 0.813 | 0.730 | 0.915 | 0.915 |
I think about my health issues often. | 5.29 ± 1.19 | 0.865 | |||||
I pay a lot of attention to my health. | 5.20 ± 1.18 | 0.880 | |||||
I try to choose healthy foods. | 5.29 ± 1.19 | 0.859 | |||||
EC | I am interested in environmental protection. | 4.97 ± 1.29 | 0.872 | 0.742 | 0.920 | 0.897 | |
I buy products that have a less harmful impact on the environment. | 4.70 ± 1.29 | 0.887 | |||||
I tend to be conscious of environmental issues when purchasing products. | 5.43 ± 1.21 | 0.896 | |||||
I buy products that have less impact on the environment if the products are otherwise the same. | 5.15 ± 1.30 | 0.786 | |||||
A | ATT | Choosing PBAs was a wise decision. | 4.68 ± 1.17 | 0.882 | 0.716 | 0.883 | 0.878 |
I am satisfied with choosing to eat PBAs. | 4.81 ± 1.14 | 0.899 | |||||
PBAs are trustworthy. | 4.96 ± 1.02 | 0.750 | |||||
B | PRI | I plan to continue purchasing PBAs in the future. | 4.89 ± 1.25 | 0.793 | 0.761 | 0.905 | 0.897 |
I would like to spread information about PBAs. | 4.59 ± 1.25 | 0.896 | |||||
I would like to share product information about PBAs with my friends. | 4.59 ± 1.30 | 0.922 | |||||
PRV | If I have the chance, I will visit a PBAs restaurant. | 4.33 ± 1.44 | 0.925 | 0.865 | 0.951 | 0.950 | |
I will visit PBAs restaurants. | 4.21 ± 1.44 | 0.950 | |||||
I would like to visit a restaurant if it has a PBAs menu. | 4.26 ± 1.41 | 0.915 |
HC | EC | ATT | RI | RV | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HC | 0.730 a | ||||
EC | 0.520 b (0.270) c | 0.742 | |||
ATT | 0.511 (0.261) | 0.533 (0.284) | 0.716 | ||
PRI | 0.492 (0.207) | 0.603 (0.364) | 0.834 (0.696) | 0.761 | |
PRV | 0.369 (0.136) | 0.512 (0.262) | 0.679 (0.461) | 0.709 (0.503) | 0.865 |
Hypothesized Path | Standardized Estimate | C.R. | P | Results | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1 | HC → ATT | 0.310 | 5.600 *** | 0.000 | Supported |
H2 | EC → ATT | 0.414 | 7.433 *** | 0.000 | |
H3 | ATT → PRI | 0.853 | 16.265 *** | 0.000 | |
H4 | ATT → PRV | 0.318 | 3.419 *** | 0.000 | |
H5 | PRI → PRV | 0.439 | 4.697 *** | 0.000 |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Park, C.-I.; Namkung, Y. Consumer Values, Attitudes, and Behavior towards Plant-Based Alternatives. Foods 2024, 13, 2561. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13162561
Park C-I, Namkung Y. Consumer Values, Attitudes, and Behavior towards Plant-Based Alternatives. Foods. 2024; 13(16):2561. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13162561
Chicago/Turabian StylePark, Cho-I, and Young Namkung. 2024. "Consumer Values, Attitudes, and Behavior towards Plant-Based Alternatives" Foods 13, no. 16: 2561. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13162561