A Pilot Study for Identification Responsible Food Consumption Determinants

The present study aimed to identify and interpret the determining factors of responsible behavior in food consumption, combining the theoretical analysis of the concept with an exploratory research study, followed by the analysis of results through structural equation modeling. Considering the growing societal interest in adopting sustainable dietary practices and the limited number of studies addressing responsible food consumption behaviors in the Romanian context, this study aims to identify and interpret the determining factors of such behavior by combining the theoretical analysis of the concept with exploratory research, followed by the analysis of results through structural equation modelling (SEM-PLS). The exploratory research, conducted on 113 respondents from Galati County, employed the SEM-PLS method to evaluate the relationships among cognitive, attitudinal, and contextual variables employed in food consumption behavior. Obtained results indicated that public policies, technological monitoring, and media campaigns significantly influenced responsible behavior, accounting for 75.7% of variance. Additionally, food education and resource conservation play a mediating role in shaping sustainable behavior. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that responsibility in food consumption results from the interaction of individual, social, and institutional factors. Promoting nutritional education, informational transparency, and sustainable policies represents essential directions for fostering conscious and balanced food consumption in Romania.