Updated: May 18th, 2024

Literature on Consumer Behavior in Agrifood Essay

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The examination of consumer behavior is a common topic for discussion in many business areas. Organizations should know what makes people buy their products and use services. In the agriculture sector, the relationships between sellers and consumers need to be constantly analyzed and improved due to globalization, media, technological advancement, information revolution, and lifestyle changes. Consumer behavior in the food and drink sector is relatively new and covers human activities to obtain and prepare products (Ngugi et al. 2020). Food safety, purchase intentions, global sustainability, and cultural, environmental, and ethical factors are the major issues for consideration. Agriculture and farming contain various cultivating practices that remain integral in human civilization. Therefore, it is important to know how to foster effective production and identify the most effective ways to advertise and offer products to various customers. This project aims to review the literature on researching consumer behaviors in the agriculture sector. Agrifood chains include production, storage, distribution, and funding to find new biological and technological sources. The review of recent studies will contribute to a better understanding of how to treat consumer behaviors and define what is missing at the moment.

Methodology

Today, researchers address different methods of gathering information, communication with stakeholders, conducting primary studies, and analyzing the literature on related topics. In this paper, the literature review is the chosen research method to systematize available studies and learn what the representatives of the agrifood sector know and think about consumer behaviors. This way allows the reader to obtain a detailed understanding of the major processes in analyzing customers, their interests, and choices. In addition to organizational aspects of the agriculture industry and the relationships with consumers, some theoretical and methodological aspects in analyzing behaviors will be identified and discussed. When the main research problems are discovered, it will be possible to identify the existing gaps and make several predictions on how to improve further research.

The current literature review plans to find at least ten reliable sources that meet the inclusion criteria. The articles should have been peer-reviewed and published in English within the last five years. The keywords for the search are “consumer behavior,” “agriculture,” “agrifood,” “perception,” and “preference.” Google Scholar is a preferred search engine with the help of which articles were identified and chosen. One of the main requirements is to use full-text articles only; thus, no abstract-only sources are defined as appropriate. At this moment of the study, geographical preferences are not considered as the researcher intends to observe what people from different countries do to analyze consumer behaviors within the agri-food sector. The international perspective turns out to be a good step in learning achievements and understanding what approaches work successfully and what alternatives have failed. In general, ten articles will be reviewed regarding their research problems, purposes, applied theories and methods, key findings, research gaps, and further implementation in the field. A table format will be effective for a brief but up-to-the-point examination, and a relevant discussion will show how to use the material.

Findings

Source	Research Problem/Aim	Theory	Method	Key Findings	Research Gap/Further Research
Adanacioglu 2021	Determination of the factors that might motivate people to buy products at farmers’ markets	No theory is applied in the study	Surveys and interviews with 363 Turkish consumers at farmers’ markets	The factors that motivate people to choose agrifood purchase decisions to depend on consumer segment (conventional and conscious customers) and food safety.	To promote their services and increase the demand for agrifood, farmers need to improve an entertainment environment and stabilize their physical structures in the market system. The identification of additional factors (cultural, social, and economic) are possible topics to continue research.
Aschemann-Witzel and Stangherlin 2021	Empirical consumer research on waste-to-value in the food and drink sector	Planned behavior theory to identify person-dependent attitudes vs. social norms	A systematic literature review (planning, conducting, reporting, and disseminating findings)	Individual (social), context (environmental), and product-related (technical) factors determine future acceptance of waste-to-value products.	Missing diverse methodologies, additional behavioral theories and gender/age factors underline the importance of education and the evaluation of consumers’ interactions.
Bouhid et al. 2021	Evaluation of consumer perception as a process to identify the factors that explain people’s purchase decisions (relationship between the valorization of products and consumer perception; future research avenues)	Theoretical foundations introduced by Pearce et al. and based on the concept of Total Economic Value	A systematic literature review of the sources from different disciplinary fields (question formulation, research work identification, selection, analysis, synthesis, and result discussion)	The promotion of agri-food products, healthy lifestyles, biodiversity, and national/international market growth affect the choices of customers and the establishment of price policies. Four groups of factors are recognized, namely socio-demographic (sex, age, and education level), the action of purchase/consumption, commitment to responsibility, and human (trust).	Attention to the perceptions of consumers should be paid to favor their behaviors, guide new policy decisions, and involve stakeholders in analyzing people’s expectations.
Cecchini et al.2018	Changes in the consumption patterns affected by social and environmental factors; the economic perspective of people’s preferences in food and agricultural products	Neoclassical economy (supply and demand as the major driving forces) and the alphabet theory (the main consumption drivers that predict purchasing behaviors)	A systematic review based on systematic search, explicit criteria, and aggregation/synthesis methods	Certain consumer preferences and willingness to pay to depend on economic methods, sustainable development, and social responsibility.	Modifications of consumer expectations and the impact of individual responsibility and awareness should be further examined to cover the gaps in understanding social, economic, and environmental issues.
de Mattos Nogueira and de Mattos Fagundes 2021	The analysis of consumer purchase intentions and the identification of the factors that affect decision-making	Theory of Planned Behavior (maintain the intention that explains purchase behavior)	An exploratory-descriptive and inferential study to test several hypothetical models based on Structural Equation Modeling and survey questionnaires (195 consumers)	The correlation between behavioral, normative, and control beliefs and cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors creates constructs that show how people make decisions, prefer lifestyles, and choose natural food over other products.	The choice of a particular geographical region and sample is not enough to cover all aspects of consumer perception in the agrifood sector, and new qualitative studies with farmers are recommended.
Marchini et al. 2021	Evaluation of the impact of milk labels’ information discourses, people’s interests, consumption behaviors	The cardinal utility theory and prospect theory (explanation of human behaviors within the existing universal laws and related risks)	A structured questionnaire (440 participants) and the Ordered Logit model	The reduction of information (voluntary disclosure and asymmetry) provided through labeling strategies positively affects the milk market in Italy, and mandatory information promotes safety and maintains consumer health.	The chosen geographical location (Italy) is predetermined by certain laws and specific behaviors, affecting applicability. The development of similar studies in other European countries to reveal the differences between customers is recommended.
Mehrabi et al. 2022	The role of consumers in agrifood systems through comparing different marketing approaches and sustainability frameworks	No specific theory, but attention to the concept of nature-human connectedness	The literature review is based on the Scopus and Web of Science databases and a framework for analysis that includes several theoretical approaches	The re-establishment of the farmer-consumer and the nature-consumer connection is possible with the help of innovative business models that influence landscapes, regimes, and personal preferences.	Farmers should become solid mediators between consumers and nature; thus, the degree of personal involvement and a variety of activities may be further researched to understand the complexity of agrifood and consumer behavior.
Mercadé‐Melé et al.2021	The analysis of the ways how corporate social responsibility (CSR) changes consumer behaviors in the agrifood sector	A theoretical model based on perceptions of safety and health, food quality, consumer satisfaction, and loyalty	Personal surveys with 295 participants from Spain and interviews to gather opinions on CSR in the agrifood sector; structural equation modeling for analysis	Consumer loyalty may be achieved if agrifood organizations develop their strategies to maintain sustainable relationships that correspond with CSR standards.	It is important to broaden people’s awareness of CSR in the agrifood context. However, the chosen sample (Spain participants) prevents generalizability, and information from other countries should be gathered to explore behavioral variables.
Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena 2021	Assessment of the potential of a hybrid approach to investigate consumer behavior in the agrifood sector	Theory of planned behavior, reasoned action, and classical utility economic theory to examine consumers’ preferences and price relevance	Empirical research based on an online questionnaire offered to 808 buyers to detect their comprehension biases through structural equation modeling	Such factors as attitudes, expectations and socioeconomic features cannot be ignored and should be integrated through the prism of several theories to explain the essence of intention and consumption.	Additional variables might be taken into consideration to see how control, beliefs, and behavior relationships affect consumers in their purchase choices and decision-making.
Salazar-Ordóñez et al. 2019	The analysis of consumer behavior related to the decision to buy handmade and agrifood products.	A new theoretical framework and the analytical model to define the relationship between handmade products/ agrifood, healthy lifestyles, and price policies	A relational model and structural equation modeling based on a survey of 203 consumers	The choice of a healthy lifestyle presupposes the intention to buy health products, including handmade and agrifood, but it does not influence directly. Young age, income factors, and education level play an important role in purchase decisions.	A limited sample size (Honduras consumers) requires additional studies being developed in other regions within the same handmade and agrifood context.

Research Problems in the Field of Consumer Behavior

The field of consumer behavior in the agrifood sector is relatively new, and some researchers share their contributions to the examination of different factors in buyer-consumer relationships. In this project, ten peer-reviewed articles are reviewed to identify what has already been known on the subject and what information should be obtained to strengthen the research background. At this moment, the major research problems include knowledge gaps and a variety of theoretical and conceptional frameworks that are not always applied to the agriculture industry (de Mattos Nogueira and de Mattos Fagundes 2021; Marchini et al. 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena 2021). Researchers investigate the agrifood sector to find out what factors affect people’s purchase decisions and offer the best-selling strategies. Mehrabi et al. (2022) admit that negative environmental impacts and socioeconomic problems provoke unequal access to resources and the development of unhealthy eating habits. Therefore, human-nature relationships should be improved through cooperation with farmers.

In addition, the reasons to research the topic of consumer behavior in a particular sector are related to the necessity to understand the possible worth of other concepts. Cecchini et al. (2018) underline that human interest in agrifood has increased during the last several decades, leading to the necessity to learn what determines their willingness to pay. It is not enough to choose a product and analyze its pros and cons from the population’s standpoint. The combination of issues explains consumer behavior, including alleviating poverty, local development, loyalty, and responsibility (Bouhid et al. 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez et al. 2019). People may choose different explanations to prove their choice and desire to buy or not to buy agrifood products, and the problem is to cover all issues in this discussion.

Theories in Researching Consumer Behavior in Agrifood

There are several theories to apply in researching consumer behavior in the agriculture industry. Some authors prefer to develop their own models and frameworks to examine influencing factors in decision-making and interest identification. For example, Salazar-Ordóñez et al. (2019) focus on corporate social responsibility and structural relations, and Mercadé‐Melé et al. (2021) work with perceptions of safety, health, and food quality. At the same time, applying. well-known theoretical approaches is also observed. One of the most common theories in the agri-food sector is planned behavior (Aschemann-Witzel and Stangherlin 2021; de Mattos Nogueira and de Mattos Fagundes 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena 2021). This theory is based on three concepts – attitudes, norms, and control – that explain the behavioral intentions of consumers. People are ready to make rational decisions and buy products when they pay attention to their behavioral intentions.

Classical utility economic theory is another common approach to examining consumer behavior in agriculture. Although this model does not cover such crucial aspects as attitudes or subjective norms as planned behavior, it helps define consumer preferences as the major behavioral drivers (Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena 2021). According to Marchini et al. (2021), this theory focuses on several universal behavioral laws and the risks associated with consumer choices. Regarding the differences and controversies between theories, some researchers prefer to combine these frameworks or introduce their innovative models to explain how different factors in the agrifood field affect consumer behavior. However, in the study by Adanacioglu (2021), no theoretical discussion was developed to show the worth of cluster analysis. In any case, theoretical frameworks in consumer behavior analysis create a solid and mutual background for understanding the topic and the peculiarities of the chosen sphere.

Research Methodologies

When researchers identify the topic for analysis, they should weigh all available resources and opportunities to understand what research methods are more appropriate for their work. In this project, the analysis of articles proves that a systematic literature review is one of the most effective and applicable ways to gather information on consumer behaviors in the agriculture sector. Most researchers like Aschemann-Witzel and Stangherlin (2021), Bouhid et al. (2021), Cecchini et al. (2018), and Mehrabi et al. (2022) achieved their goals of understanding the affecting factors of consumer behaviors through reviewed the literature. They create clear plans and define the steps to be taken for finding and examining reliable sources in the field. Their samples vary from 20 to 50 studies within the last ten years. Search procedures mostly depend on the geographic location of the researcher, and the final analysis is predetermined by properly chosen inclusion and exclusion criteria and research questions.

Quantitative and qualitative surveys and interviews with consumers introduce another method group to gather information. Different forms of communication introduce a unique opportunity to learn what people know, how they behave, and what they think about the topic. Surveys results with local consumers allowed creating of structural equation modeling for analysis and observation (de Mattos Nogueira and de Mattos Fagundes 2021; Marchini et al. 2021; Mercadé‐Melé et al. 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez et al. 2019). The Ordered Logit model helped test research questions and identify variables like people’s choices, habits, profiles, and critical socio-demographic characteristics (Marchini et al. 2021). Adanacioglu (2021) used surveys to determine how farmers could benefit from a person’s decision to purchase agrifood and relied on a random probability sampling method for standard deviations. In all studies, sample sizes (from 190 to 440 participants) were large enough to test the relation between personal interests/preferences at the farmer’s market as the preferred study area. Online questionnaires were sent to the chosen consumers with clear explanations and recommendations on how to give answers. Statistical data analysis methods like the chi-squared tests and t-tests were applied.

Key Findings

Addressing the current findings, consumer behavior in the agriculture sector depends on several factors. The most evident intention of people to choose agrifood over other products is related to quality and health outcomes (Salazar-Ordóñez et al. 2019). Today, people are eager to use different sources of information to understand how to maintain their well-being, avoid food risks to health, and learn what products prevent the possibility of unwanted health problems (Bouhid et al. 2021). Agrifood is characterized by freshness, taste, variety, availability, and quality (Adanacioglu 2021). When people recognize these attributes in products, their willingness to buy agricultural products grows. Cecchini et al. (2018) underline that this desire may also be predetermined by the economic situation, sustainability development, and the level of social responsibility. In addition, CSR turns out to be an important element in understanding consumer behavior because people pay attention to the organizations or individuals who are socially responsible (Mercadé‐Melé et al. 2021). Thus, it is correct to say that economic, social, and demographical factors define consumer behavior, and customers with a higher level of knowledge, income, and food experience prefer to cooperate with farmers and buy agrifood.

Research Gaps and Further Research

Despite the quality of the offered investigation and researchers’ attempts to create appropriate questions and conduct various methods, certain knowledge gaps exist, provoking further studies. In the field of consumer behavior in agrifood, such gaps as unequal geographical distribution, poor consumer experiences, and various farmer practices are identified (de Mattos Nogueira and de Mattos Fagundes 2021; Marchini et al. 2021; Mercadé‐Melé et al. 2021). At the same time, the identification of social or demographical factors is never the same, which explains different behaviors, choices, and preferences (Mehrabi et al., 2022; Salazar-Ordóñez and Rodriguez-Entrena, 2021). Finally, the implication of the existing theoretical models and the possibilities of creating new approaches reveal new aspects of the topic discussion, and researchers underline the necessity to continue addressing the same issues from new perspectives (Mercadé‐Melé et al. 2021; Salazar-Ordóñez et al. 2021). All these gaps should not be defined as shortages of current research but as opportunities for other stakeholders to introduce their ideas and use available resources. Today, the agrifood sector continues to grow, and new interests and options emerge to underline the role of consumers and farmers in the industry.

Conclusion

Modern business and trade relationships are developed at different levels, addressing the population’s needs, expectations, and possibilities. In the agriculture sector, certain shifts are observed as more people become interested in such products due to their quality, safety, and variety. Thus, consumer behavior in agrifood turns out to be a common topic for discussion in many academic journals and projects. It is expected to learn what factors contribute to the customer’s willingness to buy agricultural products. This literature review covers several credible studies from different parts of the world about the relationships between farmers and consumers. Social, economic, and demographic concepts need to be considered to recognize how and why people decide to buy agrifood. The theories of planned behavior, cardinal utility, and reasoned action are chosen as frameworks for conducting surveys and systematic analysis in the field. The recent findings prove that some factors predetermine human purchasing behavior and recommend continuing investigation in this particular sector to predict consumer preferences and interests.

Reference List

Adanacioglu, H., 2021. Factors affecting the purchase behavior of farmers’ markets consumers. PLoS One, 16 (7) [online].

Aschemann-Witzel, J. and Stangherlin, I. D. C., 2021. Upcycled by-product use in agri-food systems from a consumer perspective: a review of what we know, and what is missing.Technological Forecasting and Social Change [online], 168.

Bouhid, L., Hou, M. A. and Saidi, A. 2021. The consumer’s perception of labeled agri-food products: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Management and Economics, 2 (1), 124-150.

Cecchini, L., Torquati, B. and Chiorri, M., 2018. Sustainable agri-food products: a review of consumer preference studies through experimental economics. Agricultural Economics, 64 (12), 554-565.

de Mattos Nogueira, C. and de Mattos Fagundes, P., 2021. Consumer behavior in short agrifood chains in the region of Corede Rio da Varzea/RS/Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Management/Revista de Administração da UFSM, 14, 1101-1122.

Marchini, A., Riganelli, C., Diotallevi, F. and Polenzani, B., 2021. Label information and consumer behaviour: evidence on drinking milk sector.Agricultural and Food Economics, 9 (1) [online].

Mehrabi, S., Perez-Mesa, J.C. and Giagnocavo, C., 2022. The role of consumer-citizens and connectedness to nature in the sustainable transition to agroecological food systems: the mediation of innovative business models and a multi-level perspective. Agriculture, 12 (2) [online].

Mercadé‐Melé, P., Fandos‐Herrera, C. and Velasco‐Gómez, S., 2021. How corporate social responsibility influences consumer behavior: an empirical analysis in the Spanish agrifood sector. Agribusiness, 37 (3), 590-611.

Ngugi, I. K., O’Sullivan H. and Osman H., 2020. Consumer behaviour in food and healthy lifestyle: a global perspective. London: CABI.

Salazar-Ordóñez, M. and Rodriguez-Entrena, M., 2019. Hybridizing consumer behavioral approaches on agrifood markets: attitudes, judgments and choices.Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 17 (2) [online].

Salazar-Ordóñez, M., Cordón-Pedregosa, R. and Rodríguez-Entrena, M., 2019. A consumer behavior approach to analyze handmade and locally made agrifood products in Western Honduras. Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales, 18 (2), 5-27.

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