Green food purchase: exploring the gap between intention and behavior

Addressing the gap between green attitudes and behaviors is crucial for addressing environmental challenges, especially within the context of green food consumption. Despite increasing environmental awareness, consumers often struggle to translate their intentions into actual purchasing behavior. Bridging this gap can contribute to sustainable consumption, public health improvements, economic and cultural changes, and stronger environmental protection. This doctoral dissertation explores the factors influencing the integration of environmentally sustainable dietary practices and develops a targeted advertising strategy to help companies promote sustainable products effectively and encourage informed consumer choices. The dissertation consists of four studies. Study 1 investigates cognitive predictors of green food purchase intentions, focusing on perceived environmental knowledge, trust in green claims, and skepticism towards green advertising. It finds that trust in green claims mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and purchase intentions. Consumers with higher trust in credible green advertising are more likely to make sustainable food purchases. Study 2 examines implicit and explicit attitudes towards green food using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and focus groups. While the IAT results were inconclusive, post-IAT survey data analysis indicates that perceived benefits of green food positively influence purchasing behavior. Focus group discussions highlight barriers to green food consumption, such as tradition versus innovation and preferences for eco-labeling versus descriptive dish names. Study 3 categorizes green food consumers into "Coherent-Buyers," "Non-Buyers with Favorable Intentions," and "Coherent Non-Buyers." The study identifies sociodemographic and emotional factors, such as pride in purchasing sustainable food, that differentiate these groups, emphasizing the need for tailored marketing strategies. Study 4 tests a green food nudge strategy in a local canteen, finding that while overall sales did not significantly change, targeted interventions were effective for specific dish categories. This research contributes to the understanding of green food consumption behavior by integrating cognitive, emotional, and attitudinal factors.