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

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

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

Is “Wild” a Food Quality Attribute? Heavy Metal Content in Wild and Cultivated Sea Buckthorn and Consumers’ Risk Perception

Globally, the consumption of herbal supplements is on an upward trend. As the food supplement industry thrives, so does the need for consumers’ awareness of health risks. This contribution is grounded on two assumptions. Firstly, not always “wild” is a food quality attribute, and secondly, the food chain is judged as a noteworthy route for human exposure to soil contamination. Sea buckthorn (SBT) was selected for investigation due to its versatility. In addition to its wide therapeutic uses, it is present in ecological rehabilitation which may raise concerns regarding its safety for human consumption as a consequence of the accumulation of contaminants in the plant. The study aims to discover if the objective contamination of SBT with toxic residues is congruent with people’s subjective evaluation of SBT consumption risk. A quantitative determination of heavy metals was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The metals abundance followed the sequence Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd. Quantitative data on consumers’ subjective risk evaluations were collected through an online survey on 408 Romanians. Binary logistic shows that the consumption of SBT is predicted by the perceived effect of SBT consumption on respondents’ health. The study confirms that the objective contamination of wild and cultivated SBT is in line with the perceived contamination risk. It is inferred that a joint effort of marketers, media, physicians, and pharmacists is needed to inform consumers about the risks and benefits of SBT consumption

A Comparative View of Agri-Environmental Indicators and Stakeholders’ Assessment of Their Quality

peer reviewedThe degree to which economic goals have been prioritized over environmental and social objectives has caused dissatisfaction with conventional agricultural practices and stimulated the adoption of sustainable farming methods. One way to consider the multidimensionality of sustainable agriculture is to refer to indicators, more precisely, to agri-environmental indicators (AEIs). This study provides a comparative overview of the 28 AEIs of the European Union (EU) and those of the OECD and FAO, additionally revealing how these 28 indicators are reflected in the literature regarding agri-environmental indicators. Furthermore, since much of human behavior is influenced by perceptions, it was critical to reveal the stakeholders’ assessment of the 28 AEIs based on four criteria (“Availability”, “Relevance”, “Target-oriented”, and “Operational simplicity”). The stakeholders’ opinions of the 28 AEIs were assessed using the evaluation matrix. The highest overall evaluation considering the four criteria was received by “Irrigation” and “Soil quality indicators”. The study concludes that tripartite cooperation between stakeholders—farmers, agri-environmental researchers, and policymakers—is needed to successfully implement the AEIs of the EU

Management of Environmental Security Through Organic Agriculture. Contribution of Consumer Behavior

peer reviewedThe general goal of the research was to integrate organic food consumer behavior into the topic of the management of environmental security. The detailed objectives were to determine Romanian consumers’ beliefs about organic food and its role for environmental security, to identify consumers’ judgement of environmental problems, to establish the influence that demographic and social variables have on consumers’ beliefs and to emphasize the relationship between these. A random survey on 413 organic food consumers from North-Western Development Region of Romania was developed. A set of positive beliefs of organic food consumers regarding organic food and its contribution to environmental security are displayed by the present research: organic food is consumed because it is healthy (80% of tested consumers believe so) and it helps to protect the environment (75% of consumers). The study reveals there is a statistically significant difference between consumers who believe humanity faces threatening environmental problems and those who do not, concerning the strength of belief that organic food helps protecting the environment more than conventional food (p<0.05). An original aspect of the paper is the investigation of the Romanian organic food consumers’ beliefs from the perspective of environmental security. The set of variables selected to characterize consumers’ beliefs from the environmental security point of view may be considered the novelty of the paper

Organic Food Perception: Fad, or Healthy and Environmentally Friendly? A Case on Romanian Consumers

The main purpose of this paper is to explore consumers’ perceptions of organic food and examine whether organic food products are perceived in the North-West Region of Romania as offering health and environmental benefits or as simply another sine qua non condition to be integrated into the luxurious yuppie lifestyle. The inspiration for our study came from witnessing the stereotypical image of organic food consumers as “stylish, trendy, fancy consumers” in the last three to five years. Scientific evidence on the perceptions of organic food is based on a probabilistic survey. The results indicate an environmental consciousness of organic food consumers in North-Western Region of Romania in terms of organic food: a high percentage of consumers believe that organic food is healthier than conventional food (87%) and that it contributes to environmental protection more than conventional food (75%). A statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) was observed between people with higher education and those without higher education concerning the following beliefs: belief that most people consume organic products because they are in fashion, and belief that organic food contributes to environmental protection

The principle of environmental integration under scrutiny. An analytical legal framework on how EU policies are becoming green

This study was intended : - to analyse PEI over time as reflected in EU, international and national documents (Romanian and Belgian) : x-raying the nature and the legal dimension of this principle ; - to provide a literature review of PEI in order to offer a conceptual clarification and, in view of its shortcomings, the paper highlights selected conclusions/suggestions to enhance the importance of the concept ; - the paper aims at providing inspiration of environmental considerations in agricultural policy and legislation, and also in EU transport and energy policies ; - to explore the extent to which policy learning over the time has brought us closer to consumption patterns which integrate environment into energy policy in a compatible way with the sustainable development vision and aspirations of EU Stakeholders.Cette étude a pour but : - d'analyser le principe de l'intégration de l'environnement (PIE) au fil du temps comme en témoignent les documents de l'UE, les documents internationaux et nationaux (roumains et belges) : radiographer la nature et la dimension juridique de ce principe ; - de fournir une revue de la littérature relative au PIE afin d'offrir une clarification conceptuelle et, compte tenu de ses lacunes, mettre en évidence l'étude de faits saillants, de conclusions et de suggestions pour souligner l'importance de ce concept ; - fournir des idées et de l'inspiration sur la façon de promouvoir l'intégration des considérations environnementales dans la politique et la législation agricoles, et aussi dans le contexte des transports et de l'énergie de l'UE; - explorer la mesure dans laquelle les leçons politiques offertes au fil des ans nous a rapprochés de modèles de consommation qui intègrent les préoccupations environnementales dans la politique de l'énergie d'une manière compatible avec la vision et les aspirations de toutes les parties prenantes dans ce processus de développement durabl

Determinants of proper disposal of single-use masks: knowledge, perception, behavior, and intervention measures

Background Although many studies testify to consumer behavior’s role in the context of waste-related sustainability objectives, little research examined what people know, think, and feel about the environmental impacts of their personal protective equipment (PPE) or their behavior towards them, in general. Therefore, the present article complements existing information about the public perceptions, knowledge, and behavior of single-use masks in a context where the pandemic has put increasing pressure on waste management public services. From February to June 2020, municipal solid waste increased ten times in Romania. The study identified the factors that predicted the proper disposal of single-use masks and the measures preferred to prevent or minimize the negative impact of single-use mask waste. Method Data from a representative sample of 705 Romanians were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with SPSS and SmartPLS. The Cochran’s Q test was run to determine the existence of differences between percentages of people who preferred various measures. Dunn’s test with a Bonferroni correction was used to identify the exact pair of groups where the differences were located. The study utilized structural equation models (SEM) based on at least partial squares with SmartPLS software (3.2.8) to investigate causal links between constructs. The model considered that the dependent variable (environmentally friendly behavior: proper disposal of single-use masks) could be influenced by the knowledge, perception, behavior, and demographics variables. Results The findings indicated that knowledge of the type of material of single-use masks had a direct positive (β = 0.173) and significant effect on their proper disposal. The perception of mask waste impact has a negative and significant (β = −0.153, p < 0.001) impact on the proper disposal of single-use masks. This path coefficient illustrates that the worse the perceived impact of single-use masks on waste management activity, the higher the proper disposal of single-use masks. Gender has a positive (β = 0.115) and significant (p < 0.001) effect on the proper disposal of single-use masks. Conclusions It was concluded that the 5Rs waste management approach should be reconsidered for single-use mask waste. For example, “Reuse” and the classic “Recycle” have limited applications since they may lead to virus transmission and possible infection. “Reducing” the use of single-use masks could have repercussions on one’s health. Summing up, the study outlined recommendations for effective interventions for the proper disposal of single-use masks from the perspective of behavioral studies