Title: Perceptions of environmental benefits from sustainable food consumption patterns: evidence from the Generations Z and Y cohort

Authors: Irene Kamenidou; Spyridon Mamalis; Ifigeneia Mylona; Aikaterini Stavrianea; Evangelia Zoi Bara

Addresses: Department of Management Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, Kavala, 65404, Greece ' Department of Management Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, Kavala, 65404, Greece ' Department of Management Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, Kavala, 65404, Greece ' Department of Communication and Media Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 10559, Greece ' Department of Management Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, Kavala, 65404, Greece

Abstract: This paper presents the research results of a study focusing on peoples' perceptions (N = 513) about the environmental benefits from specific consumption patterns. Data were collected from Greece with participants belonging to the Generation Z (N = 252) and the Generation Y (N = 261) cohort via an online questionnaire. Factor and cluster analyses provided segments based on subjects' perceptions of environmental benefits from sustainable food practices. Precisely, the three groups that arose were the 'neutrals', the 'mindful and relatively optimistic', and the 'pessimists'. The profiles of the segments are also presented. The groups formed reveal the marketing communication patterns that should be applied in order to target each segment to achieve long-run results of sustainable food consumption that can produce future environmental benefits.

Keywords: sustainable food consumption; SFC; environmental benefits; Generation Y; Generation Z; perceptions; marketing communication; digital marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2022.124640

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2022 Vol.18 No.1/2, pp.182 - 198

Received: 30 Mar 2021
Accepted: 26 Jul 2021
Published online: 31 Jul 2022 *