Goal number 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals proposes attaining sustainable production and consumption. Public administrations, firms, and organizations must be involved in this achievement, as well as citizens as consumers. In our case, we focus on consumers and on two food-related decisions: the buying and consumption of local products, specifically vegetables and fruits, and the decision to follow a plant-based diet, concretely vegans and vegetarians. The aim is to check if there exists a relation between the two questions. We carried out empirical research in a South European city, and we found that a significant relation between these behaviors does not exist. It is necessary to increase consumer perception about the advantages of consuming local products, reducing the limitations that they come across, and transmitting clear information from administrations and industries. Greater involvement from consumers in sustainable food practices will contribute to sustainability.

PurposeThere is a strong relationship between the changes that society faces and food. The aim of this work is to analyse the differences between generations related to their behaviour towards food.Design/methodology/approachTo characterise people's behaviour towards their food, the authors will use a tool, food-related lifestyles (FRL), which has been widely employed in the literature. To achieve this general objective, the authors are going to break this down into two operational goals. Firstly, the authors will analyse if there exist differences in generations regarding the characteristics which make up their FRL. Secondly, the authors will determine if there is an association between generations and specific FRL. The authors have developed a study of 1,200 consumers.FindingsThe results have enabled is to achieve the proposed aims and to describe the behaviour of each generation towards its FRL. There are significant differences in 15 of the 22 dimensions of the LRF analysed according to generations. The authors noted six consumer segments with regard to the FRL and the authors have found a relation between the characteristics which define the generations and their FRL. The findings enable offering implications for the food sector and for society.Originality/valueFirstly, this research spans the five generations present in the current society. Secondly, most works are centred on how FRL correspond with the consumption of specific products. This paper is dedicated to going thoroughly into the intergenerational similarities and differences regarding their FRL. Thirdly, the FRL tool has been especially applied in the context of Central European and Nordic countries, the USA and South-East Asia. In this work, the authors apply the FRL to a Mediterranean cultural context, Spain, characterised by a Mediterranean diet and by a significant family and social component in the diet.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the shopping intention of local products. Using the theory of planned behavior model, the authors study the effect of egoistic and altruistic benefits and the influence of contextual limitations and people’s own limitations on the intention to buy local fresh fruits and vegetables. Methodology This paper uses a sample of 1,200 consumers of a south European city to test the model using a structural equation modeling technique with partial least squares. Findings Although egoistic benefits have a direct effect on the shopping intention, altruistic benefits have a much higher total effect. Surprisingly, attitude does not influence shopping intention. This paper provides elements that favor the consumption of local products from a more global, social and sustainable perspective. Value This paper provides new empirical evidence on the influence of perceived benefits and personal limitations on local food consumption.

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