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1 – 5 of 5Nadia Palmieri and Flavio Boccia
According to recent studies, young people are most inclined to waste food, and an important category is represented by students. Unlike other young people, they possess several…
Abstract
Purpose
According to recent studies, young people are most inclined to waste food, and an important category is represented by students. Unlike other young people, they possess several characteristics that influence their food waste behaviour. For these reasons, this study aims to identify the elements that influence students’ behaviour towards food waste in Italy to provide insights on how to reduce food waste among young consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
In this exploratory research, a Web survey involving 1,066 Italian students was used, and, after a factor analysis, a hierarchical multiple linear regression model was applied.
Findings
The findings showed that, at a young age, the food thrown away and the reasons are positively associated with food waste, while the family size and the actions that students adopt to prevent food waste are negatively associated with it.
Practical implications
Recognizing that students are the people who will shape the food waste scenario of the future, it is important to implement educational paths about it and to raise consumer awareness. The findings might provide interesting insights on how to develop educational campaigns for specific target groups, such as students. In fact, the results underline that local institutions and retailers should be involved in educational campaigns aimed at both addressing the motivations behind food waste and improving the actions people take to prevent it.
Originality/value
The paper revisits the issue using a relatively large sample of Italian students (youths aged 16–18 years). The results provide valuable insights on how to approach hypothetical Italian students in view of the potential development of new strategies for reducing food waste.
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Flavio Boccia and Daniela Covino
New food technologies based on biotechnological organisms are increasingly becoming a cause for debate and conflicting discussions. This paper aims to investigate hypothetical…
Abstract
Purpose
New food technologies based on biotechnological organisms are increasingly becoming a cause for debate and conflicting discussions. This paper aims to investigate hypothetical consumer behaviour, and the willingness to pay (WtP), towards a specific type of genetically modified food in relation to particular indications on the label about the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by manufacturing companies.
Design/methodology/approach
For this purpose a choice experiment was used on a representative sample of more 1,300 Italian families, interviewing the component in charge of the buying choices within the selected household. A random parameter logit-error component model allows for heterogeneity in consumer preferences and potential correlation across utilities and across taste parameters. Beyond investigating consumers’ preferences regarding that product through a choice experiment, the aim was to detect the drivers of that purchase and preference heterogeneity across consumers’ choice, and the WtP, for the products with those features.
Findings
Results also offer a topic for further discussion and are useful for companies’ strategies to understand how to address such concerns through appropriate CSR policies. The main results are: CSR initiatives always have a strong effect on consumer choice; the price is consistently important, exerting a negative influence in the decision-making process for individuals; consumers may also know possible effects of genetically modified foods, but that does not always translate into purchase behaviour.
Originality/value
The research considers a particular link between genetically modified food and CSR not addressed in details; moreover, it is also based on the author’s own previous research and is its natural continuation and development, but also important for future researches.
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Genetically modified (GM) food consumption causes discussions among consumers. So, the present research is aimed to study the hypothetical consumption of a particular kind of GM…
Abstract
Purpose
Genetically modified (GM) food consumption causes discussions among consumers. So, the present research is aimed to study the hypothetical consumption of a particular kind of GM food products in Italy, which are from the second generation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research suggests both information about this particular kind of consumption and factors that determine their purchase through statistical techniques for testing and estimating causal relations, using data derived from carrying out sample surveys. Above all, the factor analysis and the cluster analysis are used for the aim of the study.
Findings
The proposed study shows that transgenic consumption is especially linked to knowledge and impact on health, but also the possibilities that they are able to give when special properties, that can be added to food products, are considered. Moreover, it was possible to identify three kinds of consumer-of-food under investigation: the agree one (37 per cent of the sample), with highest level of perceived expectation and willingness to pay; the half-agree one (27 per cent), with lowest level of desire but highest level of satisfaction; and the disagree one (36 per cent), with negative relationship with all of the factors, particularly with the perceived expectation.
Originality/value
The research considers a topic not addressed in details; moreover, it is also based on the author's own previous research and is its natural continuation and development, but also important for future researches.
Details
Keywords
Flavio Boccia, Letizia Alvino and Daniela Covino
Packaging and labelling have become essential to how food manufacturers generate and deliver value to customers. The information displayed on the packaging can be used to…
Abstract
Purpose
Packaging and labelling have become essential to how food manufacturers generate and deliver value to customers. The information displayed on the packaging can be used to communicate to customers the properties and unique characteristics of a food product (e.g. nutrients, calories and country of origin). To achieve communication goals effectively, manufacturers need to understand how consumers evaluate products based on their attributes. In particular, companies should be aware of which specific product attributes affect consumer buying behaviour and which product attributes are more critical during food assessment. So, the paper aims to investigate consumer's behaviuor linked to typical product attributes indicated on the packaging.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study examines consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for a cherry jam with different attributes (brand, type of production method and price) on a sample of 2,166 Italian respondents through a choice experiment using a random parameter logit-error component model.
Findings
The results showed that WTP for jams can be affected by attributes such as brand, price and production methods; precisely, they indicated that the level of naturalness in the production process constitutes the main element for the consumer’s choice; however, the considerable weight that price and brand have in influencing the purchasing behaviour of the food consumer was still confirmed: in fact, a p-value of less than 0.05 was found in all cases.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that assesses the effect of different types of production on WTP for food products. In addition, this study also reflects on the importance of the level of education for consumer choice.
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