Knowledge of the consumer is necessary in order to achieve a more sustainable society. What are the deeper cultural factors underlying our eating and movement behaviour? How can businesses contribute to sustainability and how will this affect the consumer? How can we influence the consumer?
Consumer Behaviour research is concerned with the purchasing and consumer behaviour of consumers of food and other agricultural products and with the factors influencing this behaviour. We also look at the driving mechanisms and interventions for influencing this behaviour.
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Consumers want clarity regarding sustainability quality marks
Quality marks indicating sustainability need to be made clearer for consumers and market parties. This would make it easier for consumers to make choices. The current quality marks provide too little information about the sustainability impact of the product, and this is something consumers want to see improved.
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Consumer acceptance of new food products
LEI is coordinating an EU FP7 project proposal ‘Strategies for improving communication between social and consumer scientists, food technology developers and consumers’ (acronym: CONNECT4ACTION'. The results of the project will help improve the multidisci-plinary dialogue and increase consumer acceptance of new food products.
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Spearheads
- Development of perceptions and behaviour over time
Here we look at the development of the way in which consumers experience and behave in relation to food over time. What do they regard as valuable and what changes are occurring in this area?
- Effectiveness and legitimacy of interventions
In order to make it easier for consumers to adopt particular purchasing behaviour, attempts are made to influence this behaviour. In this connection, we look at the influencing of the environment and of supply. In both these instances, it is important to collaborate with the private sector. We also look at demand-oriented interventions that encourage consumers to want to, to be able to and to start to eat more sustainably on a voluntary basis.
- The consumer in relation to quality and food safety
What risks do consumers weigh up in relation to new technologies or to an unhealthy eating pattern? How do consumers treat such risks and what efforts and sacrifices are consumers prepared to make in this respect? This spearhead is concerned with the importance that different groups of consumers attach to matters of food safety. In this connection, we take a broad look at food quality, also taking into account such factors as convenience, price and flavour.