Participative Processes as a Chance for Developing Ideas to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap Concerning Sustainable Diets

Abstract

Sustainable diets are drivers and results of sustainable food systems. Therefore, they are crucial for improving our global diet-related problems. When trying to adopt sustainable diets, people often struggle with the gap between their good intentions and their actual behavior. Here we see a need for support. To understand people’s needs and what could help them, it stands to reason that they can be directly involved in the development processes for appropriate ideas. On that account, we conducted six workshops in different German cities from September to December 2016 with 82 participants in total. We collected data by letting participants generate ideas to bridge the intention-behavior gap. The qualitative data was then coded in internal (168) and external factors (989). Analyzing data shows that the higher numbers of external factors offer a wider range of aspects that contribute to closing the intention-behavior gap from the participant’s point of view. We discuss whether the external factors such as availability, advertising, pricing, and education about food and nutrition may be a prerequisite for a broad mass of people to practice a more sustainable diet.

Exploring External Factors Affecting the Intention-Behavior Gap When Trying to Adopt a Sustainable Diet: A Think Aloud Study

“…For this purpose, we focused on the possible influence of the factors on the intentions-behavior gap and on possible ideas for avoiding the emergence of an intentionbehavior gap based on the factors. The latter ties in with the work of our first study (77). The interview was then used to collect general data on the intention-behavior gap, as well as external and internal factors.…”

“…We produced four videos in each of which one external factor is responsible for creating the intention-behavior gap. Based on previous research (76,77) we decided to choose the external factors availability, education, advertising and price. Availability, education and advertising were three of the most mentioned factors responsible for the intention-behavior gap.…”

Ethical Concerns in Poultry Production: A German Consumer Survey About Dual Purpose Chickens

“…Marketing should make consumers aware that their decisions have an impact and that they can contribute to the solution of sustainability problems (Toma et al 2012;Fink et al 2018). This way, customers associate their consumption patterns with a positive emotional feeling (Spaargaren 2011;Vega-Zamora et al 2018).…”

“…In addition, more collaborative approaches that foster the direct relationship between producers and consumers appear promising (e.g., Dumont et al 2016;Spaargaren 2011). By means of such participative processes, consumers become promoters of the innovation, the intention-behaviour gap can be bridged (Fink et al 2018;Vega-Zamora et al 2018), and the complex innovation of dual-purpose chicken can be more comprehensively communicated and understood.…”

Mother-Related Determinants of Children At-Home Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Patterns in a Polish National Sample

“…A similar association may be assumed for children from lower socioeconomic status families, which may perceive rarely consumed products as tastier compared to perception of other children. However, it must be emphasized that in such cases, the poverty and high prices of food products, which are commonly indicated as factors limiting the fruit and vegetable intake increase [49], are the real barriers that require a general intervention to ensure that such products are provided to families with low financial resources, e.g., by offering healthy products at lower prices [50].…”