Consumers’ Attitude toward Sustainable Food Products: Ingredients vs. Packaging

Source: Seo et al., Sustainability, October 2016, 8(10):1073 | DOI: 10.3390/su8101073
Authors: Soyoung Seo, Hee-Kyung Ahn, Jaeseok Jeong, Junghoon Moon
License: CC BY

Overview

This research investigates consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable food products, focusing on two eco-friendly attributes: internal (ingredients, e.g., organic) versus external (packaging). The study addresses a gap in sustainability research, which often centers on organic ingredients while undervaluing the environmental impact of packaging.

Key Insights

Growing Market and Consumer Awareness

• The sustainable food product market is expanding due to heightened environmental concerns and consumer interest in health and ethics.
• Consumers increasingly seek eco-friendly products but generally understand internal attributes (organic ingredients) better than external ones (eco-friendly packaging).

Internal vs. External Sustainability Attributes

• Internal attributes: Related to the product itself, such as organic ingredients, perceived as healthful and environmentally beneficial.
• External attributes: Related to packaging, whose environmental impact has come under scrutiny as a major pollution source.

Research Methodology

• Conducted three experimental studies using ANOVA and ANCOVA to analyze the impact of internal (ingredients) and external (packaging) sustainability on consumer behavior.
• Measured consumers’ Willingness to Buy (WTB) and price premium acceptance based on product attributes and packaging levels.

Findings on Consumer Preferences

• Willingness to Buy varies significantly across product attributes. Consumers do not uniformly value organic and packaging sustainability equivalently.
• Eco-friendly packaging influences consumers’ satisfaction and purchasing decisions, with appropriate packaging preferred over excessive packaging.
• Eco-friendly packaging, despite its vital role in pollution mitigation, is less commonly used and less understood by consumers compared to organic ingredients.

Packaging as a Primary Purchasing Cue

• Packaging is the first visual and tactile information a consumer receives, affecting product evaluations through size, color, and shape.
• Appropriate, minimal packaging is seen as more environmentally beneficial than excessive packaging—even more so than simply buying organic products.

Implications for Brands and Marketers

• Dual focus on ingredients and packaging: Sustainable product strategies should not only highlight organic or eco-friendly ingredients but also emphasize eco-conscious packaging solutions.
• Consumer education: Increasing awareness about the environmental impact of packaging can shift preferences favorably toward sustainably packaged products.
• Product presentation: Optimizing packaging design to balance eco-friendliness without compromising convenience or aesthetics can enhance consumer satisfaction and WTP.

Conclusion

Seo et al. illuminate the nuanced consumer attitudes toward sustainability in food products, underscoring that while organic ingredients are well-recognized, the role of eco-friendly packaging deserves equal emphasis. Packaging sustainability strongly affects purchasing behavior and satisfaction, suggesting a promising avenue for reducing environmental pollution and meeting growing consumer demand for sustainable products.

Keywords

Sustainable food product, organic food product, eco-friendly packaging, consumer willingness to buy, product attribute, price premium

For brands committed to sustainability, integrating eco-friendly packaging with organic ingredient transparency offers a competitive edge aligned with evolving consumer expectations.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.