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Consumer preferences and acceptance for sustainable food systems
Full text linkTesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacionsTesi amb menció de Doctorat Internacional(English) As consumers increasingly recognise the health, ethical, and environmental impacts of their dietary choices, a shift toward sustainable food systems is emerging. This dissertation explores consumer preferences, willingness to pay (WTP), and factors influencing the acceptance of innovative and sustainable food products through seven empirical studies.
The first study examines Spanish consumers’ willingness to consume (WTC) animal products fed with insects. A survey of 1,260 individuals analysed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests reveals significant uncertainty, with females showing greater acceptance. Key factors influencing WTC include financial situation, age, and education.
The second study explores the effect of informational contexts on WTP for insect-fed animal products using a Heckman model with 1,006 responses. Findings indicate WTP premiums of 21%–31%, with higher education, online shopping habits, and shopping at municipal markets increasing WTC likelihood.
The third study assesses WTP for organic aquaculture products, focusing on organic sea bass. A survey of 1,300 consumers analysed via binary logistic regression finds a €2.26 (25%) WTP premium. Age, financial stability, and attributes like price, origin, and freshness significantly influence WTP.
The fourth study examines Spanish consumers’ sensory acceptance of plant-based products. Data from 132 respondents analysed using SPSS and PLS-SEM show that perceived behavioural control, sensory perceptions, attitudes, and informed tasting significantly impact purchasing intentions.
The fifth study investigates acceptance and WTP for legume-based gnocchi using the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) auction method. A hedonic evaluation of 127 consumers reveals moderate attitudes toward legume-based products. Tasting negatively impacts WTP, while education, income, government support perceptions, and sensory attributes influence WTP.
The sixth study analyses European meat substitute consumption patterns using Mintel data from 5,000 consumers across four countries. Over half have reduced red meat intake, with Germans showing the highest vegan adherence. Women consume less meat and are more inclined to reduce intake. Economic and sustainability concerns drive reduction, with preferences for locally sourced, natural, and meat-like substitutes.
The seventh study conducts a meta-analysis of consumer WTP for short food supply chain (SFSC) products across 47 studies. Findings indicate an average 34.5% premium, with gender, education, study year, age, region, product category, and sustainability attributes affecting WTP. Organic products receive the highest WTP, with meat, poultry, dairy, and honey leading categories.(Català) A mesura que els consumidors prenen consciència dels impactes en la salut, l’ètica i el medi ambient derivats de les seves eleccions alimentàries, s’està produint un gir cap a sistemes alimentaris sostenibles. Aquesta tesi explora les preferències dels consumidors, la seva disposició a pagar (DAP) i els factors que influeixen en l’acceptació de productes alimentaris innovadors i sostenibles a través de set estudis empírics.
El primer estudi examina la disposició a consumir (DAC) productes d’origen animal alimentats amb insectes per part dels consumidors espanyols. Una enquesta a 1.260 individus, analitzada amb les proves de Kruskal–Wallis i Mann–Whitney U, revela una incertesa significativa, amb una major acceptació per part de les dones. Els factors clau que influeixen en la DAC són la situació financera, l’edat i el nivell educatiu.
El segon estudi analitza l’efecte dels contextos informatius en la DAP per productes d’animals alimentats amb insectes mitjançant un model de Heckman amb 1.006 respostes. Els resultats indiquen primes de DAP del 21% al 31%, i mostren que un nivell educatiu més alt, l’hàbit de comprar en línia i fer compres als mercats municipals augmenten la probabilitat de DAC.
El tercer estudi avalua la DAP per productes d’aqüicultura ecològica, centrant-se en el llobarro ecològic. Una enquesta a 1.300 consumidors, analitzada amb regressió logística binària, revela una prima de DAP de 2,26 € (25%). L’edat, l’estabilitat financera i atributs com el preu, l’origen i la frescor influeixen significativament en la DAP.
El quart estudi examina l’acceptació sensorial dels productes d’origen vegetal per part dels consumidors espanyols. Les dades de 132 participants, analitzades amb SPSS i PLS-SEM, mostren que el control percebut del comportament, les percepcions sensorials, les actituds i el tast informat influeixen significativament en la intenció de compra.
El cinquè estudi investiga l’acceptació i la DAP per gnocchi elaborats amb llegums mitjançant el mètode d’oferta BDM (Becker–DeGroot–Marschak). Una avaluació hedònica amb 127 consumidors revela actituds moderades cap als productes de llegums. El tast impacta negativament la DAP, mentre que el nivell educatiu, els ingressos, la percepció del suport governamental i els atributs sensorials la condicionen.
El sisè estudi analitza els patrons de consum de substituts de carn a Europa utilitzant dades de Mintel de 5.000 consumidors en quatre països. Més de la meitat han reduït el consum de carn vermella, amb els alemanys mostrant el nivell més alt d’adherència vegana. Les dones consumeixen menys carn i tenen més predisposició a reduir-ne el consum. Les preocupacions econòmiques i de sostenibilitat motiven aquesta reducció, amb preferències per productes d’origen local, naturals i similars a la carn.
El setè estudi realitza una metanàlisi sobre la DAP dels consumidors per productes de cadenes curtes de subministrament alimentari (CCSA) a partir de 47 estudis. Els resultats indiquen una prima mitjana del 34,5%, amb el gènere, l’educació, l’any de l’estudi, l’edat, la regió, la categoria del producte i els atributs de sostenibilitat com a factors influents. Els productes ecològics reben la DAP més alta, amb la carn, l’aviram, els lactis i la mel com a categories destacades.(Español) A medida que los consumidores reconocen cada vez más el impacto en la salud, la ética y el medio ambiente de sus elecciones alimentarias, se observa un cambio hacia sistemas alimentarios sostenibles. Esta tesis doctoral explora las preferencias de los consumidores, la disposición a pagar (DAP) y los factores que influyen en la aceptación de productos alimenticios innovadores y sostenibles a través de siete estudios empíricos.
El primer estudio examina la disposición a consumir (DAP) de los consumidores españoles de productos animales alimentados con insectos. Una encuesta a 1260 personas, analizada mediante las pruebas U de Kruskal-Wallis y Mann-Whitney, revela una incertidumbre significativa, con una mayor aceptación entre las mujeres. Los factores clave que influyen en la DAP incluyen la situación financiera, la edad y la educación.
El segundo estudio explora el efecto de los contextos informativos en la DAP por productos animales alimentados con insectos mediante un modelo de Heckman con 1006 respuestas. Los resultados indican primas en la DAP del 21 % al 31 %, donde la educación superior, los hábitos de compra en línea y la compra en mercados municipales aumentan la probabilidad de DAP.
El tercer estudio evalúa la DAP por productos de acuicultura ecológica, centrándose en la lubina ecológica. Una encuesta a 1300 consumidores, analizada mediante regresión logística binaria, revela una prima de DAP de 2,26 € (25%). La edad, la estabilidad financiera y atributos como el precio, el origen y la frescura influyen significativamente en la DAP.
El cuarto estudio examina la aceptación sensorial de los consumidores españoles hacia los productos vegetales. Los datos de 132 encuestados, analizados mediante SPSS y PLS-SEM, muestran que el control conductual percibido, las percepciones sensoriales, las actitudes y la degustación informada influyen significativamente en las intenciones de compra.
El quinto estudio investiga la aceptación y la DAP por los ñoquis de legumbres mediante el método de subasta Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM). Una evaluación hedónica de 127 consumidores revela actitudes moderadas hacia los productos de legumbres. La degustación impacta negativamente en la DAP, mientras que la educación, los ingresos, la percepción de apoyo gubernamental y los atributos sensoriales influyen en la DAP.
El sexto estudio analiza los patrones europeos de consumo de sustitutos de la carne utilizando datos de Mintel de 5000 consumidores en cuatro países. Más de la mitad ha reducido su consumo de carne roja, siendo los alemanes los que muestran una mayor adhesión al veganismo. Las mujeres consumen menos carne y son más propensas a reducir su consumo. Las preocupaciones económicas y de sostenibilidad impulsan la reducción, con preferencias por sustitutos de origen local, naturales y similares a la carne.
El séptimo estudio realiza un metaanálisis de la DAP del consumidor por productos de cadena corta de suministro de alimentos (CCSA) en 47 estudios. Los resultados indican una prima promedio del 34,5 %, donde el género, la educación, el año de estudio, la edad, la región, la categoría del producto y los atributos de sostenibilidad influyen en la DAP. Los productos orgánicos reciben la mayor DAP, con la carne, las aves, los lácteos y la miel como categorías principales.DOCTORAT EN TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTÀRIA I BIOTECNOLOGIA (Pla 2013
Context matters: how different information influences consumer preferences and willingness to pay for animal products fed with insects
No full textThe use of insects as an alternative source of animal feed is gaining interest due to their positive environmental impact. Consumers are generally more accepting of using insects as sustainable feed for animals than consuming insects directly. However, limited research exists on how different informational contexts influence consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for insect-fed animal products. This quantitative study addresses this gap by surveying 1,006 consumers in Spain, stratified by age and gender. Using the Heckman sample selection model, the results reveal that the probability of purchasing insect-fed animal products increases with younger age, municipal market shopping, online shopping habits, and a positive attitude towards inflation, while it decreases in households with elderly members. In contrast, neophobic attitudes and negative attitudes towards adding insects in animal feed significantly reduce the likelihood of purchasing these products. In the outcome equation, WTP is significantly influenced by household income, education level, online shopping behaviour, anthropocentric attitude, and negative attitude towards adding insects in animal feed. Higher household income is associated with lower WTP, while online shopping increases WTP. Higher education levels are linked to lower WTP for chicken and pork but are not significant for eggs. Consumers with a stronger anthropocentric attitude and negative attitudes towards using insects in animal feed are less willing to pay for these products. Consumers’ WTP premiums for insect-fed animal products range from 21% to 31%, with the highest premiums observed when no specific information about insects’ rearing, treatment, or processing is provided. Budget constraints and trust issues regarding sustainable insect feed are the main barriers to acceptance. These findings suggest that raising awareness about insect feed production, and emphasising animal welfare practices could enhance consumer acceptance. Furthermore, the substantial WTP for these products highlights their potential as premium items in the Spanish market.Postprint (published version
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Towards more sustainable animal-feed alternatives: A survey on Spanish consumers' willingness to consume animal products fed with insects
Full text linkGlobal meat consumption will continue to increase in response to the growth in population and demand. Numerous studies have emphasized the nutritional, economic, and environmental benefits of using insect meal as an alternative protein source for animal feed. This article analyses Spanish consumers' willingness to consume pork, chicken, eggs, and fish, and explores the effect of sociodemographic and psychometric characteristics on their willingness to consume when the animals are fed with insect protein as a sustainable feed alternative. The study used an online Spanish consumers' panel belonging to Qualtrics© (market company services) and distributed it to 1260 individuals stratified by age, gender, and region. The data were analysed using the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests. Overall, the results demonstrated that most Spanish consumers expressed high uncertainty regarding their willingness to consume animal-fed insect meals. They also exhibited moderate levels of food neophobia and showed a highly ecocentric attitude. The non-parametric comparison analysis confirmed significant differences in willingness to consume sustainable animal products across sociodemographic characteristics: financial situation and gender were significant variables, with females more willing to consume sustainable animal products than males. For the psychometric traits, significant differences in willingness to consume sustainable animal products were confirmed across food neophobia, food neophilia, opinions on using insects in animal feed, and ecocentric attitude. The results also confirmed a significant difference in the effects of sociodemographic variables on psychometric attributes. Financial situation affects food neophilia, anthropocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. Age influences food neophobia, ecocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. Education also influences food neophilia, ecocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. For gender, it is observed that females are more neophobic than males. This study has provided comprehensive initial insights into consumer willingness to consume insect-fed animal products in Spain, and the findings from this study will serve as a valuable resource for producers, policymakers, and governments in making informed decisions that promote more sustainable production practices.This study has received funding from the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) under grant agreement No PID2019-111716RB-I00 (project acronym SUSPROMO). The content of this thesis reflects only the author’s view and the AEI is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it containsPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version
From taste to purchase: Understanding the influence of sensory perceptions and informed tasting on plant-based product purchases - An extension of the theory of planned behavior.
No full textAlthough suggestions to shift towards plant-based diets have been proposed and consumers have indicated their willingness to reduce meat consumption, there is a scarcity of research exploring consumers' attitudes and intentions regarding plant-based products. Therefore, this study analyzes consumers’ hedonic sensory acceptance and its impact on the attitudes and predictors associated with purchase intentions. Data were collected from 132 consumers using a validated questionnaire designed on the Qualtrics platform. IBM SPSS 29 software was used to analyze the descriptive statistics of consumers' attitudes toward plant-based products, and SmartPLS software was employed to identify the factors influencing their purchase intentions. The results showed that consumers held moderate attitudes towards plant-based products. They rated their perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and perceptions of the sensory characteristics of these products as high. However, they reported a moderate level of satisfaction after tasting the product. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that four factors significantly influenced consumers' intention to purchase plant-based products: perceived behavioral control, sensory perceptions, attitude, and informed tasting. This study provides empirical evidence to explain the factors influencing Spanish consumers' decisions to purchase plant-based products, holding promising implications for future product development in Spain and other European countries.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::2 - Fam zeroObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al ClimaPostprint (author's final draft
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
From taste to purchase: Understanding the influence of sensory perceptions and informed tasting on plant-based product purchases - An extension of the theory of planned behavior.
No full textAlthough suggestions to shift towards plant-based diets have been proposed and consumers have indicated their willingness to reduce meat consumption, there is a scarcity of research exploring consumers' attitudes and intentions regarding plant-based products. Therefore, this study analyzes consumers’ hedonic sensory acceptance and its impact on the attitudes and predictors associated with purchase intentions. Data were collected from 132 consumers using a validated questionnaire designed on the Qualtrics platform. IBM SPSS 29 software was used to analyze the descriptive statistics of consumers' attitudes toward plant-based products, and SmartPLS software was employed to identify the factors influencing their purchase intentions. The results showed that consumers held moderate attitudes towards plant-based products. They rated their perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and perceptions of the sensory characteristics of these products as high. However, they reported a moderate level of satisfaction after tasting the product. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that four factors significantly influenced consumers' intention to purchase plant-based products: perceived behavioral control, sensory perceptions, attitude, and informed tasting. This study provides empirical evidence to explain the factors influencing Spanish consumers' decisions to purchase plant-based products, holding promising implications for future product development in Spain and other European countries.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::2 - Fam zeroObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al ClimaPostprint (author's final draft
Meta‐Analysis of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Short Food Supply Chain Products
No full textAbstract Due to their perceived benefits for health, the environment, the economy, and sustainability, in recent years there has been a growing interest on the part of researchers and policymakers in short‐food supply chains (SFSCs). However, a systematic review of the literature on this topic remains lacking. To address this gap, the study conducts a meta‐analysis to examine consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for SFSC products, taking into account various sociodemographic factors and sustainability attributes. On average, consumers are willing to pay a 34.5% premium for SFSC products. Key factors influencing WTP include gender, education, study year, age, region, product category, and sustainability attributes. Women exhibit higher WTP, and individuals with higher education levels also demonstrate increased WTP. Notably, WTP for SFSC products is lower before 2014, while younger consumers exhibit higher WTP overall. Consumers in Western Europe present higher WTP estimates compared to those in North America and other regions. In terms of sustainability attributes, organic products receive the highest WTP, with food categories such as meat, poultry, dairy products, and honey showing the highest estimates. These findings offer valuable insights for SFSC producers, marketers, and policymakers, guiding effective strategies to promote SFSC products within sustainable agri‐food systems
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