IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2022i1p317-d1014445.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Aspects Affecting Food Choice in Daily Life as Well as Drivers and Barriers to Engagement with Fungi-Based Food—A Qualitative Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Coralie Hellwig

    (Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, 50190 Borås, Sweden)

  • Kim Bolton

    (Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, 50190 Borås, Sweden)

  • Greta Häggblom-Kronlöf

    (Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section for Health and Rehabilitation, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Kamran Rousta

    (Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, 50190 Borås, Sweden)

Abstract

Fungi-based food is expected to contribute to more sustainable food systems. The present study has three focus areas: (i) aspects that affect food choices food in daily life, (ii) aspects that affect choices of fungi-based food in particular, and (iii) drivers that motivate, and barriers that prevent, engagement in cultivating fungi and cooking fungi-based food at home. One hundred and sixty participants, who were recruited using convenience sampling, filled out qualitative questionnaires. The results show that there are numerous aspects (e.g., environmental benefits, nutrition, sensory characteristics, production practices and ingredients) that are important when people choose food in daily life. In addition to curiosity, many of these aspects also affect the choice of fungi-based food. The study identified more drivers (e.g., self-providing, curiosity, awareness of ingredients) than barriers (time, knowledge, concerns about contamination) to cultivation and cooking of fungi-based food at home. The findings are relevant for the development of fungi-based food so that this type of food is engaged with, and so that it can contribute to more sustainable food systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Coralie Hellwig & Kim Bolton & Greta Häggblom-Kronlöf & Kamran Rousta, 2022. "Aspects Affecting Food Choice in Daily Life as Well as Drivers and Barriers to Engagement with Fungi-Based Food—A Qualitative Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:317-:d:1014445
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/317/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/317/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Demartini, Eugenio & Vecchiato, Daniel & Finos, Livio & Mattavelli, Simone & Gaviglio, Anna, 2022. "Would you buy vegan meatballs? The policy issues around vegan and meat-sounding labelling of plant-based meat alternatives," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    2. Van Loo, Ellen J. & Hoefkens, Christine & Verbeke, Wim, 2017. "Healthy, sustainable and plant-based eating: Perceived (mis)match and involvement-based consumer segments as targets for future policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 46-57.
    3. Sunstein, Cass R., 2021. "Viewpoint: Are food labels good?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    4. Vlaeminck, Pieter & Jiang, Ting & Vranken, Liesbet, 2014. "Food labeling and eco-friendly consumption: Experimental evidence from a Belgian supermarket," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 180-190.
    5. Grunert, Klaus G. & Hieke, Sophie & Wills, Josephine, 2014. "Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 177-189.
    6. Tully, Stephanie M. & Winer, Russell S., 2014. "The Role of the Beneficiary in Willingness to Pay for Socially Responsible Products: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 255-274.
    7. Vermeir, Iris & Verbeke, Wim, 2008. "Sustainable food consumption among young adults in Belgium: Theory of planned behaviour and the role of confidence and values," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 542-553, January.
    8. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, 2021. "Is food labelling effective in reducing climate impact by encouraging the substitution of protein sources?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vlaeminck, Pieter & Vranken, Liesbet, 2015. "Do labels capture consumers’ actual willingness to pay for Fair Trade characteristics?," Working Papers 206438, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    2. Antonino Galati & Giuseppina Migliore & Alkis Thrassou & Giorgio Schifani & Giuseppina Rizzo & Nino Adamashvili & Maria Crescimanno, 2023. "Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Agri-Food Products Delivered with Electric Vehicles in the Short Supply Chains," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 12(2), pages 193-207, June.
    3. Enoch Owusu-Sekyere & Awudu Abdulai & Henry Jordaan & Helena Hansson, 2020. "Heterogeneous demand for ecologically sustainable products on ensuring environmental sustainability in South Africa," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 22(1), pages 39-64, January.
    4. Paul Fesenfeld, Lukas & Maier, Maiken & Brazzola, Nicoletta & Stolz, Niklas & Sun, Yixian & Kachi, Aya, 2023. "How information, social norms, and experience with novel meat substitutes can create positive political feedback and demand-side policy change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    5. Yokessa, Maïmouna & Marette, Stéphan, 2019. "A Review of Eco-labels and their Economic Impact," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 13(1-2), pages 119-163, April.
    6. Takahashi, Ryo & Todo, Yasuyuki & Funaki, Yukihiko, 2018. "How Can We Motivate Consumers to Purchase Certified Forest Coffee? Evidence From a Laboratory Randomized Experiment Using Eye-trackers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 107-121.
    7. Feucht, Yvonne & Zander, Katrin, 2017. "Consumers’ attitudes on carbon footprint labelling. Results of the SUSDIET project," Thünen Working Paper 266396, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
    8. Yawar Abbas Sandhu & Selvan a/l Perumal & Waida Irani Mohd Fauzi, 2019. "The Predictors and Consequences of Personal Norms in Context of Organic Food Among Pakistani Consumers," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(3), pages 314-336, May.
    9. Lívia Garcez de Oliveira Padilha & Lenka Malek & Wendy J. Umberger, 2021. "Sustainable Meat: Looking through the Eyes of Australian Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-24, May.
    10. Brunner, Florentine & Kurz, Verena & Bryngelsson, David & Hedenus, Fredrik, 2018. "Carbon Label at a University Restaurant – Label Implementation and Evaluation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 658-667.
    11. Alberto Michele Felicetti & Antonio Palmiro Volpentesta & Roberto Linzalone & Salvatore Ammirato, 2023. "Information Behaviour of Food Consumers: A Systematic Literature Review and a Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    12. Luigi Bollani & Alessandro Bonadonna & Giovanni Peira, 2019. "The Millennials’ Concept of Sustainability in the Food Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, May.
    13. Ali Eldesouky & Francisco J. Mesias & Miguel Escribano, 2020. "Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, May.
    14. Mameno, Kota & Kubo, Takahiro & Ujiie, Kiyokazu & Shoji, Yasushi, 2023. "Flagship species and certification types affect consumer preferences for wildlife-friendly rice labels," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PB).
    15. Lohmann, Paul M. & Gsottbauer, Elisabeth & Doherty, Anya & Kontoleon, Andreas, 2022. "Do carbon footprint labels promote climatarian diets? Evidence from a large-scale field experiment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    16. Cordula Hinkes & Inken Christoph-Schulz, 2020. "No Palm Oil or Certified Sustainable Palm Oil? Heterogeneous Consumer Preferences and the Role of Information," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    17. Vlaeminck, Pieter & Jiang, Ting & Vranken, Liesbet, 2014. "Food labeling and eco-friendly consumption: Experimental evidence from a Belgian supermarket," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 180-190.
    18. Carlsson, Fredrik & Kataria, Mitesh & Lampi, Elina, 2022. "Sustainable food: Can information from food labels make consumers switch to meat substitutes?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    19. Gabriela Fretes & Amapola Sepúlveda & Camila Corvalán & Sean B. Cash, 2021. "Children’s Perceptions about Environmental Sustainability, Food, and Nutrition in Chile: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    20. Erpeng Wang & Zhifeng Gao, 2017. "Chinese Consumer Quality Perception and Preference of Traditional Sustainable Rice Produced by the Integrated Rice–Fish System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:317-:d:1014445. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.