Abstract
Recently, in response to the climate and environmental crises due in part to the unsustainable activities of the industrialised agri-food sector, interest has grown in the role of consumers in promoting system change through everyday dietary decisions and demand behaviour. Foodies are one consumer segment who have been specifically identified as potentially influential in this regard. Foodies are individuals with high involvement in and knowledge of food, and the recent development of The Foodie Index has enabled researchers to objectively delineate foodies from non-foodies and determine attitudinal and behavioral differences between them. Here, we describe two recent studies that seek to determine the sustainable dietary behaviors of foodies and non-foodies. In the first study we measured the saliency of sustainability when making food choices, concern about food sustainability and protecting the environment, pro-environmental values, and sustainable food literacy in a sample of 617 youth. We also determined their action stage for 15 behaviours associated with environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable dietary behaviour. In the second study, we assessed the same variables and the level of engagement of foodies and non-foodies with these dietary behaviours in 824 adults from four countries in the Global North. Overall, the results show that foodies have higher food sustainability concern and literacy, and are much more engaged in sustainable dietary behaviors than non-foodies. This greater sustainability-mindedness and behaviour of foodies is discussed with regard to its potential to help shape consumer attitudes and actions toward more sustainable diets.
Presenters
Gary PickeringProfessor, Biology/Psychology/Environmental Sustainability, Brock University, Ontario, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, FOOD CHOICE, SUSTAINABILITY, FOODIES
