title: How does consumer knowledge affect environmentally sustainable choices? Evidence from a cross-country latent class analysis of food labels.
abstract: This paper examines consumers' knowledge and lifestyle profiles and preferences regarding two environmentally labeled food staples, potatoes and ground beef. Data from online choice experiments conducted in Canada and Germany are analyzed through latent class choice modeling to identify the influence of consumer knowledge (subjective and objective knowledge as well as usage experience) on environmentally sustainable choices. We find that irrespective of product or country under investigation, high subjective and objective knowledge levels drive environmentally sustainable food choices. Subjective knowledge was found to be more important in this context. Usage experience had relatively little impact on environmentally sustainable choices. Our results suggest that about 20% of consumers in both countries are ready to adopt footprint labels in their food choices. Another 10-20% could be targeted by enhancing subjective knowledge, for example through targeted marketing campaigns.
authors.affiliation: MAPP Centre, Research on Value Creation in the Food Sector for Consumers, Industry and Society, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Peschel
authors.affiliation: Morrison School of Agribusiness, Arizona State University, USA. Electronic address: carola.grebitus@asu.edu.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grebitus
authors.affiliation: Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bodo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veeman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D005518:Food Preferences; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059205:Renewable Energy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Carbon footprint; Food; Latent class analysis; Objective knowledge; Subjective knowledge; Water footprint