Consumer behaviour related to rabbit meat as functional food

[EN] Rabbit is one of the most versatile livestock species, responding successfully to bio-economic principles, which promote a clever use of resources and their conversion into added value products, such as functional foods (FFs). The excellent nutritive and dietetic properties of rabbit meat justify granting it the attributes of FFs. Based on the premise that it is the consumer who ultimately decides what kind of meat to buy, a consumer focus should be a core factor in private or public meat sector strategies. Following this assumption, the aim of this study is to contribute to understanding Romanian consumer behaviour related to rabbit meat as a functional food and to provide information on how to better market rabbit meat as FF in the domestic market. As far as the authors know, this study is the first one to assess and report on Romanian consumer perceptions, knowledge and behaviours related to rabbit meat. Consequently, the variables investigated reflect rabbit meat consumption habits. They also reveal preferences related to the acquisition of rabbit meat, perceptions on future rabbit meat consumption, perceptions of rabbit meat characteristics, perceptions of rabbit meat main characteristics compared to other types of meat, and rabbit meat consumption deterrents. The survey results show that rabbit meat is perceived as lean and low cholesterol, healthier and tastier than other meats, but more expensive, that its consumption is low, being 2.2 times lower than chicken and 1.8 times lower than pork, and that 29.6% of people surveyed have never eaten rabbit meat. The findings ascertain that the understanding of Romanian consumer behaviour related to rabbit meat as FF is an optimal tool for changing behaviour patterns towards a more sustainable market. The transfer of this knowledge towards marketers mainly focusing on how to increase consumer satisfaction for FFs, especially meat, is the leverage for designing successful businesses regarding market re-orientation, development or even reduction of health cost.This study was partially developed through the research programme “The creation of a model for the evaluation of food quality from the point of view of consumer health and environmental protection”, selected within the bilateral cooperation between the Romanian Academy and Wallonia – WBI, FRS-FNRS. “La présente publication a été rendue possible grâce à l’Accord qui lie WBI, le FRS-FNRS et l’Académie Roumaine.Petrescu, DC.; Petrescu-Mag, RM. (2018). Consumer behaviour related to rabbit meat as functional food. World Rabbit Science. 26(4):321-333. doi:10.4995/wrs.2018.10435SWORD321333264Andersen H.J., Oksbjerg N., Young J.F., Therkildsen M. 2005. Feeding and meat quality -a future approach. Meat Sci., 70: 543-554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.07.015Annunziata A., Vecchio R. 2010. Italian consumer attitudes toward products for well-being: the functional foods market. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 13: 19-50.Arnold C. 2009. Ethical marketing and the new consumer. United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.Bastian B., Loughnan S., Haslam N., Radke H. R. 2012. Don't mind meat? The denial of mind to animals used for human consumption. Pers. Soc. Psychol. B., 38: 247-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167211424291Baviera-Puig A., Buitrago-Vera J., Escribá-Pérez C., Montero-Vicente L. 2017. Rabbit meat sector value chain. World Rabbit Sci., 25: 95-108. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2017.6565Blaga B.C., Burny P. 2014. Rabbit production and rabbit market in Romania: the most frequent breeds, half-breeds and their characterization. Rabbit Gen., 4: 1-6.Bodnar K., Bodnar Skobrak E. 2014. Main traits of the rabbit meat in its marketing. Lucrări Științifice Management Agricol, 16: 104-108.Bodnar K., Horvath J. 2008a. Consumers' opinion about rabbit meat consumption in Hungary. In Proc.: 9th World Rabbit Congress, 10-13 June 2008, Verona, Italy. 1519-1522.Bodnar K., Horvath J. 2008b. Consumers' opinion about rabbit meat consumption in Hungary. In Proc: 9th World Rabbit Congress, 10-13 June 2008, Verona, Italy. 1519-1522.Boland M.J., Rae A.N., Vereijken J.M., Meuwissen M.P.M., Fischer A.R.H., van Boekel M.A.J.S., Rutherfurd S.M., Gruppen H., Moughan P.J., Hendriks W.H. 2013. The future supply of animalderived protein for human consumption. Trends Food Sci. Tech., 29: 62-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2012.07.002Buitrago-Vera J., Escribá-Pérez C., Baviera-Puig A., Montero-Vicente L. 2016. Consumer segmentation based on food-related lifestyles and analysis of rabbit meat consumption. World Rabbit Sci., 24: 169-182. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2016.4229Cheeke P. 1980. Editorial: The potential role of the rabbit in meeting world food needs. J. Appl. Rabbit Res., 3: 3-5.Corpet D.E. 2011. Red meat and colon cancer: should we become vegetarians, or can we make meat safer? Meat Sci., 89: 310-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.04.009Dalle Zotte A. 2002. Perception of rabbit meat quality and major factors influencing the rabbit carcass and meat quality. Livest. Prod. Sci., 75: 11-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-6226(01)00308-6Dalle Zotte A., Szendrő Z. 2011. The role of rabbit meat as functional food. Meat Sci., 88: 319-331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.02.017De-Magistris T., Lopéz-Galán B. 2016. Consumers' willingness to pay for nutritional claims fighting the obesity epidemic: the case of reduced-fat and low salt cheese in Spain. Public Health, 135, 83-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2016.02.004Dinu V., Marchevski I., Dobrescu E., Petrescu R.M. 2010. Education and training needs in the field of consumer protection in the Lower Danube region. Amfiteatru Economic, 12: 709-734.Ecoduri, 2018. Date demografice Cluj-Napoca, Cluj statistica si rapoarte ale populatiei [Cluj-Napoca demographic data, Cluj statistics and population reports]. Available at: http://www.ecoduri.com/recensamantul-populatiei/Cluj/Cluj-Napoca.php#educatie Accessed December 2018.European Commission. 2012. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe, {SWD(2012) 11 final}. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/officialstrategy_en.pdf Accessed December 2018.EUROSTAT. 2015. Meat production statistics. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Meat_production_statistics#Data_sources_and_availability. Accessed December 2018.FAOSTAT. 2012. Food and Agricultural Organization statistical database. Available at: http://faostat3.fao.org/faostatgateway/go/to/download/Q/QL/E.Font-i-Furnols M., Guerrero L. 2014. Consumer preference, behavior and perception about meat and meat products: An overview. Meat Sci., 98: 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.06.025González-Redondo P., Contreras-Chacón G.M. 2012. Perceptions among university students in Seville (Spain) of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion animal. World Rabbit Sci., 20: 155-162. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2012.1147González-Redondo P., Sánchez-Martínez R. 2014. Characterisation of wild rabbit commercial game farms in Spain. World Rabbit Sci., 22: 51-58. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2014.1213Grădinaru A.C. 2017. The Transylvanian Giant Rabbit: an efficient selection for qualitative and quantitative genetic traits. Rabbit Gen., 7: 1-6.Grunert K.G., Bredahl L., Brunsø K. 2004. Consumer perception of meat quality and implications for product development in the meat sector -a review. Meat Sci., 66: 259-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(03)00130-XHasnah Hassan S. 2011. Managing conflicting values in functional food consumption: the Malaysian experience. Brit. Food J., 113: 1045-1059. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701111153788Hoffman L.C., Nkhabutlane P., Schutte D.W., Vosloo C. 2004. Factors affecting the purchasing of rabbit meat: A study of ethnic groups in the Western Cape. J. Consum. Sci., 32: 26-35.Hung Y., de Kok T.M., Verbeke W. 2016. Consumer attitude and purchase intention towards processed meat products with natural compounds and a reduced level of nitrite. Meat Sci., 121:119-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.06.002Ibrahim M., El-Banna H., Omara I., Suliman M.A. 2011. Evaluation of nutritive value of some citrus pulp as feedstuffs in rabbit diets. Pak. J. Nutr., 10: 667-674. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2011.667.674International Standardization Organization. 2015. ISO 9000. Available at: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards.htm Accessed December 2018.Jeltema M., Beckley J., Vahalik J. 2015. Model for understanding consumer textural food choice. Food Sci. Nutr., 3: 202-212. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.205Kallas Z., Gil J.M. 2012. A dual response choice experiments (DRCE) design to assess rabbit meat preference in Catalonia: A heteroscedastic extreme-value model. Brit. Food J., 114: 1394-1413. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701211262984Khan M. I., Arshad M. S., Anjum F. M., Sameen A., Gill W. T. 2011. Meat as a functional food with special reference to probiotic sausages. Food Res. Int., 44: 3125-3133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2011.07.033Kourouniotis S., Keast R., Riddell L., Lacy K., Thorpe M., Cicerale S. 2016. The importance of taste on dietary choice, behaviour and intake in a group of young adults. Appetite, 103, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.03.015Kubomura K. 1998. Japan redefines functional foods. Prepared Foods, 167: 129-131.Lukefahr S. 1998. Rabbit production in Uganda: Potential versus opportunity. World Rabbit Sci., 6: 331-340. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1998.365Lukefahr S., Cheeke P. 1990. Rabbit project planning strategies for developing countries. (1) Practical considerations. Livest. Res. Rural Develop., 2: 1-21.Lukefahr S.D., Paschal J.C., Ford J.E. 1998. Backyard production of meat rabbits in Texas. Available at: https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/87730/pdf_645.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Accessed December 2018.McAfee A.J., Ibeagha-Awemu E.M., Cuskelly G.J., Moss B.W., Wallace J.M.W., Bonham M.P., Fearon A.M. 2010. Red meat consumption: An overview of the risks and benefits. Meat Sci., 84: 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.08.029National Institute of Statistics. 2018. Available at: http://www.insse.ro/cms/en Accessed December 2018.Nistor E., Bampidis V.A., Păcală N., Pentea M., Tozer J., Prundeanu H. 2013. Nutrient content of rabbit meat as compared to chicken, beef and pork meat. J. Anim. Prod. Adv., 3: 172-176.Pappalardo G., Lusk J.L. 2016. The role of beliefs in purchasing process of functional foods. Food Qual. Prefer., 53: 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.06.009Petracci M., Soglia F., Leroy F. 2018. Rabbit meat in need of a hattrick: from tradition to innovation (and back). Meat Sci., 146: 93-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.08.003Petracci M., Cavani C. 2013. Rabbit meat processing: historical perspective to future directions. World Rabbit Sci., 21: 217-226. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2013.1329Petrescu D.C., Oroian I.G., Mihăiescu T., Paulette L., Varban D., Pătruțoiu T.C. 2013. Rabbit statistics overview: production, trade, market evolution. Rabbit Gen., 3: 15-22.Petrescu D.C., Petrescu-Mag R.M., Burny P. 2017. Resilience to environmental pressure through quality food demand: meat consumption in Romania. Environ. Eng. Manage. J. (EEMJ), 16: 2391-2400. https://doi.org/10.30638/eemj.2017.247Petrescu-Mag I., Oroian I., Botha M., Covrig I., Vesa Ș.C. 2014. Transylvanian giant rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): rustic means also aggressive. Rabbit Gen., 4: 56-59.Petrescu-Mag R.M., Oroian I.G., Botha M., Covrig I., Petrescu-Mag I.V. 2014. Morphological, productive and reproductive characterization of the Transylvanian giant rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): first statistical report. North-Western J. Zool., 10:400-403.Pérez López S., Manuel Montes Peón J, Vázquez Ordás J.C. 2005. Organizational learning as a determining factor in business performance. The Learning Organization, 12: 227-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470510592494Popescu D.V., Voinea L., Negrea M.T. 2015. Nutritional Imbalance-Dominant Consumption Behaviour of Romanian Youth. Amfiteatru Economic, 17, 1228-1243.Ritchie H., Roser M. 2018. Meat and Seafood Production & Consumption. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/meat-and-seafood-production-consumption Accessed December 2018.Rhormens M.S., Pedrini A.D.G., Ghilardi-Lopes N.P. 2017. Implementation feasibility of a marine ecotourism product on the reef environments of the marine protected areas of Tinharé and Boipeba Islands (Cairu, Bahia, Brazil). Ocean Coast. Manage., 139: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2017.01.022Rousset S., Deiss V., Juillard E., Schlich P., Droit-Volet S. 2005. Emotions generated by meat and other food products in women. Brit. J. Nutr., 94: 609-619. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN20051538Sima N., Sima R. 2015. Perennial fodder plants - potential feed sources in nutrition of rabbits. Rabbit Gen., 5: 6-12.Stanciu S., Rizea R.D., Ilie A.G. 2015. Study on the Competitiveness of the Romanian Meat Processing Industry. Amfiteatru Economic, 17: 1331-1345.STATISTA. 2108a. Average retail price of rabbit meat in France from 2008 to 2015 (in euros per kilo). Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/454198/average-retail-price-forrabbit-meat-in-france/ Accessed December 2018.STATISTA. 2018b. Annual average price of rabbit meat in Spain from 2010 to 2015 (in euros per kilogram). Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/765113/price-mediumof-the-kilogram-from-meat-from-rabbit-in-spain/ Accessed December 2018.Szakaly Z., Szigeti O., Szente V. 2009. Analysis of consumer habits and attitudes on the Hungarian beef and rabbit market. Appl. Stud. Agribusiness Comm., 3: 67-70. https://doi.org/10.19041/Apstract/2009/1-2/7Vecchio R., Van Loo E.J., Annunziata A. 2016. Consumers' willingness to pay for conventional, organic and functional yogurt: evidence from experimental auctions. Int. J. Consumer Stud., 40: 368-378. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12264Verbeke W. 2005. Consumer acceptance of functional foods: socio-demographic, cognitive and attitudinal determinants. Food Qual. Prefer., 16: 45-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2004.01.001Wang W., Xu S., Wu L. 2013. Consumer Perceptions of Attitudes Towards and Willingness to Consume Rabbit Meat in Urban China. J. Nutr. Ecol. Food Res., 1: 161-166. https://doi.org/10.1166/jnef.2013.102

A social perspective on soil functions and quality improvement : Romanian farmers’ perceptions

Agriculture is a key player in the conservation of natural resources and cultural landscapes and one of the most prominent interfaces between human activity and soil. The present paper reveals a social perspective on soil functions. In this context, it was assumed that perceptions of soil functions could transform themselves into components of agro-ecosystems and influence the whole decision-making process. Therefore, it is indispensable to look at farmers when approaching soil functions. The objective of this study was twofold. Firstly, Romanian farmers' perception of the importance of soil functions was investigated. Secondly, it was revealed how well farmers' perception of soil functions importance and socio-economic variables could predict the "Use of compost". Soil functions were selected based on an extensive literature review. Farmers' perceptions of soil functions and the use of compost as a measure taken to improve soil productivity were studied through a questionnaire applied to a sample of 278 Romanian farmers randomly selected from sixteen villages. Binary logistic regression revealed that the perceived importance of two soil functions could predict the use of compost - "Water quantity regulation" and "Water quality maintenance and enhancement". The study concluded that strengthening the importance of the "Water quantity regulation" function in farmers' minds can stimulate the use of compost. It was also inferred that because younger farmers are more prone to composting, they will be more receptive to marketing actions related to compost use, such as the acquisitions of materials and instruments useful for compost production and use. In a context where a real dialogue to elaborate well-grounded environmental policies is still elusive because of differences between farmers and policy-makers' views, investigation of farmers' perceptions can bring a significant contribution towards a bottom-up approach for sustainable soil management

Consumer understanding of food quality, healthiness, and environmental impact : a cross-national perspective

The last few decades testify that consumers' concerns for healthier lifestyles and environment care are driving forces for reshaping food buying intentions and their perspectives on food quality. The present study identifies the importance that consumers attach to quality, health, and environment selected cues of purchased food products. More precisely, to elicit preferences for social, environmental, and qualitative food cues, a survey instrument was developed and applied on 797 Belgian and Romanian consumers. Our findings suggest that investigated consumers most frequently use freshness, taste, and appearance to evaluate food quality. The use frequency of food quality cues related to health is primarily influenced by the attention paid to food quality. The most relevant cues of food healthiness are ingredients, nutrition facts, and additives and for food environmental impact are packaging, food origin, and production type. It is concluded that food quality receives high attention both from Belgian and Romanian consumers and health and environment related cues can be used as a means of improving consumer health and environmental protection

Traditional foods at the click of a button : the preference for the online purchase of Romanian traditional foods during the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2020 quarantine demonstrated that online food purchase has become one of the main protagonists of the pandemic. The present study valued the Internet as a mediator between producers and consumers with the power to create new demand for Romanian traditional food during the COVID-19 crisis. Authors aimed at carrying out an exploratory research about the online purchase of traditional foods (TFs). Within this context, the study, firstly, outlines the meaning of traditional foods in the Romanian consumers’ minds and, secondly, it identifies the variables that can predict the preference for the online purchase of TFs during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was carried out to investigate the Romanian consumers’ perceptions (n = 223) of TFs and online purchase of TFs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Binary logistic regression tested the relationship between the preference for the online purchase of TFS (vs. in-store) and seven perceived characteristics of TFs. Results show that the preference for the online purchase of TFs during the COVID-19 pandemic can be predicted by five variables—“TFs taste”; “Effect of TFs consumption on health during the COVID-19 pandemic”; “Effect of online TFs purchase on health during the COVID-19 pandemic”; “How cheap/expensive is to buy TFS online during the COVID-19 pandemic”; and “Easiness to purchase TFS online during the COVID-19 pandemic”. It was concluded that TFs have to claim their place within this digitized landscape by finding the balance between old and new, between preferences for foods taste passed through generations and new life lifestyles at 5G speed

From scythe to smartphone: Rural transformation in Romania evidenced by the perception of rural land and population

peer reviewedHistory, economy, policy arrangements, and individual choices can all explain changes in ruralness. The rural transformation represents the main focus of this study which is intended to be a journey in the past to discover the present and understand the future, figuratively marked by the expression “from scythe to smartphone”. The objective of the paper is twofold. Firstly, to offer benchmarks on Romania's economic literature and the modern political, economic, and social changes that have shaped today's rural communities. Secondly, to assess the importance that people assign to rural land and rural population. The research was developed in two main parts and it used a mixed-method approach including document analysis as a qualitative method and survey as a quantitative method. A stratified random sampling method at the country level was used to select a sample of 217 persons. A broad context for the debate on how to negotiate for preserving the ruralness is also outlined. The analysis suggested a small perceived deficit of the rural population for ensuring environmental protection and food security. The results revealed that the hardship of rural space was a human-engineered problem and that modernity, through technology, deeply impacts the diversification of rural people's needs. It follows that this study could stimulate the stewardship of ruralness in other national contexts where rural space is about to become a cyber-reality, a museum space of “how it was once”. Moreover, the present contribution recommends the realignment of rural-urban boundaries. Last but not least, the complex interaction among small-scale farmers' motivations and needs, large-scale land acquisitions consequences, rural exodus, and the dynamics of rural land and population must be scrutinized as well

Consumer evaluation of food quality and the role of environmental cues. A comprehensive cross-country study

peer reviewedWidely explored in literature, yet it is unclear which food quality cues consumers find most relevant. The increasing consumers’ concern for sustainability aspects in their food buying decisions warrants special attention to environmental-social aspects as food quality indicators. Consequently, this study explores consumer evaluation of food quality and highlights the role of environmental-social cues in food quality evaluation. A cross-national perspective was adopted, using a sample of 761 consumers from Belgium and Romania. Exploratory factor analysis reveals six factors that contained food quality cues perceived as similar by consumers. The first factor, named “Environmental-Social”, comprises cues related to environmental protection and social equity. Regression analyses indicate a set of variables that can predict the perceived relevance of environmental-social cues in food quality evaluation. The present study contributes to understanding of consumer food quality evaluation by extending the analysis to a large number (59) of food quality cues. From a practical stance, the study can guide managers’ efforts to enhance environmentally sustainable behavior based on the relevance of environmental-social cues in consumers’ food quality evaluation