13 pages, The purpose of this paper is to consider role of branding agricultural products in better market valorization. The benefit of branding is especially significant for rural and insufficiently developed environment. The problems of rural environments are multidimensional, but revitalization and improvement of development leads to strengthening competitiveness of these areas. The higher price of products enables the increase of income of agricultural workers, as well as diversification of the rural economy and creation of conditions of better socioeconomic aspects in rural environments. Creation of a more desirable image of an agricultural product most often has a strong reflection on the area of origin, as well as on reformation of the social attitude towards that environment. Branded products and services have a higher market value, due to which legal aspects enabling not only branding, but maintenance of a brand as well, are of special significance.
10 pages, Sustainable food systems are often defined by greenhouse gases, land use, effects on biodiversity, and water use. However, this approach does not recognize the reason food is produced—the provision of nutrients. Recently, the relationship between diets and sustainability has been recognized. Most accepted models of ‘sustainable diets’ focus on four domains: public health, the environment, food affordability, and cultural relevance. Aligned with the FAO’s perspective, truly sustainable diets comprise foods that are affordable, nutritious, developed with ingredients produced in an environmentally friendly manner, and consumer preferred. Identifying solutions to address all four domains simultaneously remains a challenge. Furthermore, the recent pandemic exposed the fragility of the food supply when food accessibility and affordability became primary concerns. There have been increasing calls for more nutrient-dense and sustainable foods, but scant recognition of the consumer’s role in adopting and integrating these foods into their diet. Dietary recommendations promoting sustainable themes often overlook how and why people eat what they do. Taste, cost, and health motivate consumer food purchase and the food system must address those considerations. Sustainable foods are perceived to be expensive, thus marginalizing acceptance by the people, which is needed for broad adoption into diets for impactful change. Transformational change is needed in food systems and supply chains to address the complex issues related to sustainability, taste, and cost. An emerging movement called regenerative agriculture (a holistic, nature-based approach to farming) provides a pathway to delivering sustainable foods at an affordable cost to consumers. A broad coalition among academia, government, and the food industry can help to ensure that the food supply concurrently prioritizes sustainability and nutrient density in the framework of consumer-preferred foods. The coalition can also help to ensure sustainable diets are broadly adopted by consumers. This commentary will focus on the challenges and opportunities for the food industry and partners to deliver a sustainable supply of nutrient-dense foods while meeting consumer expectations.
18 pages, This study investigated the factors influencing consumers' switching intentions to biodegradable plastic products. Applying a modified Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework, we analyzed the impact of factors such as environmental concern, novelty seeking, negative attitude, perceived consumer effectiveness, green consumer availability, and environmental knowledge on switching intention, while also examining the moderating effect of perceived greenwashing. Results showed that environmental concern, perceived consumer effectiveness, and negative attitude from the motivation dimension, and environmental knowledge from the ability dimension, had significant effects on switching intentions. Furthermore, it was found that the level of perceived greenwashing moderated the effects of environmental concern, perceived consumer effectiveness, and environmental knowledge on switching intentions. This study is significant for its focus on consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions towards biodegradable plastics as eco-friendly products, although there is room for debate about its actual environmental effectiveness. Based on the findings, we present practical implications that include the importance of consumer education, the need for companies to provide transparent information, and policy considerations to strengthen consumer sovereignty.
20 pages, Consumers often make decisions on behalf of the self and others, such as family, friends, or colleagues, when choosing products to jointly consume. Postulating that power—a central element of social dynamics—shapes reliance on internal versus external information, the current research explores its effect on joint consumption choices. Across three studies, I find that low-power individuals balance self and others’ preferences, whereas high-power individuals are likely to highlight their preferences (H1). In addition, I provide evidence for decision-making strategy (i.e., reliance on reasons vs. feelings) as the key mechanism underpinning the relationship between power and joint consumption choices (H2). Finally, I demonstrate that this effect is attenuated when individuals have a heightened need for justification, via moderation and mediation (H3 and H4).
