Measuring consumer perceptions over beef good practices and sustainable production process

Abstract

PurposeInformation on scales for measuring dimensions related to consumer concerns over production processes is scarce in the literature. The purpose of this study was to develop a more comprehensive scale for measuring concern over the production process (CPP).Design/methodology/approachThe authors derive the concept based on the results of a bibliographic review, existing certification criteria, an interview with five experts and two consumer focus groups. The authors interviewed 725 frequent beef meat consumers to test the scale.FindingsStatistical tests and purification yielded a final scale with 18 items and six latent variables: animal welfare, traceability, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, legality and sanitation in slaughterhouses. The authors confirmed the nomological validity of the instrument using product involvement as an antecedent construct and attitude related to sustainable consumption as a consequent of CPP.Research limitations/implicationsThe research results may lack generalisability. New research avenues are suggested for testing the scale in other cultural contexts and with different groups of consumers and food types.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights for cattle ranchers, the industry and the retail sector in formulating communication strategies and product/brand positioning in response to consumer concerns about the production process.Originality/valueThere is no study at present that fully addresses the use of a scale to measure dimensions of production processes. The creation of the CPP scale is a relevant academic contribution that aids in assessing the influence of the environmental dimension in conjunction with other essential constructs.

An Exploratory Study of the Purchase and Consumption of Beef: Geographical and Cultural Differences between Spain and Brazil

“…Production and consumption of food is important in any society and has a wide range of social, economic and, in many cases, environmental implications [ 16 , 29 ]. Traceability systems serve as an important part of food safety in quality/security control in order to provide details as to whether the monitoring points in the production or distribution chain are working correctly [ 26 ].…”

“…Most consumers have access to meat production information, and this information defines consumer awareness [ 15 ]. It is believed that in the future, more account should be taken of the ethical and sustainable aspects of meat production at the time of purchase [ 16 ]. This would help to establish a closer balance between the expected quality and the experienced quality [ 9 , 17 ].…”

Sustainable meat consumption intentions: conceptualisation, scale development and validation

“…Sustainable meat consumption demands a protein transition, preference to alternative or plant-based protein diet (Paloviita, 2021;Hwang et al, 2020;Smiglak-Krajewska and Wojciechowska-Solis, 2021). Eco-friendly consumption, also called sustainable consumption, encapsulates the motivation to buy organic meat rather than conventional meat due to health and animal welfare (Chang and Watchravesringkan, 2018;Burnier et al, 2020;Nguyen et al, 2021). Sustainable meat consumption intention can be defined as a plan to decrease per capita meat consumption, potentially mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Lacroix and Gifford, 2020).…”

“…It is recommended that future research focuses on consumers' perceptions about sustainable meat consumption in emerging and developing countries (Hartmann and Siegrist, 2017). Considering this, our study will employ an inductive approach by conducting focus groups interviews to measure the construct from statements that make up the phenomenon (Burnier et al, 2020).…”

Characterization of Children’s Consumption of Chicken and Turkey Meat to Develop Social Responsibility Strategies

“…Instead, due to the evolution of the consumer habits, there were new food attributes and claims, such as the signs of quality (for example, the protected designation of origin) and information on organic origin. Currently, consumers focus on newer attributes which include fair trade, low carbon footprint (CF), natural, biodynamic, animal welfare and indicators for sustainable and healthy consumption (Burnier et al, 2020;Grunert et al, 2004). The consumers perceive all these attributes in different ways, taking into account the image of the brand or of the product.…”