Open AccessThe future of sustainable food consumption in China
Author(s) -
Chu May,
Anders Sven,
Deng Qing,
Contador Carolina A.,
Cisternas Francisco,
Caine Catherine,
Zhu Ying,
Yang Shuyuan,
Hu Bo,
Liu Zhiguang,
Tse Lap Ah,
Lam HonMing
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
food and energy security
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 25
ISSN - 2048-3694
DOI - 10.1002/fes3.405
Subject(s) - sustainable consumption , china , business , consumption (sociology) , theory of planned behavior , government (linguistics) , sustainable development , sustainable agriculture , conceptual framework , greenhouse gas , marketing , construct (python library) , population , sustainability , environmental economics , control (management) , production (economics) , economics , political science , sociology , ecology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , demography , management , biology , computer science , law , macroeconomics , programming language
Abstract Food production is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. China, as a rapidly developing economy, contributes to an unsustainable food system as its consumption of animal products and meat has continued to grow in recent decades. Using the extended theory of planned behavior as the conceptual framework, this paper examines factors influencing consumers' intention to purchase sustainable food in China. To this end, a population‐based face‐to‐face survey was conducted with 2422 respondents in five provinces spanning the north and south of China. The results showed that the traditional constructs of behavioral attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the additional construct of perceived quality are significant in inducing such intentions. This paper suggests that to enhance consumers' willingness to shift to sustainable food consumption, appropriate regulation and monitoring framework is needed to increase consumers' trust toward sustainable food. The government can also cooperate with the media, experts, and social media opinion leaders to ensure that messages on sustainable development are promoted in effective ways.