Consumers’ Attitude towards Sustainable Food Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania
Iulia C. Muresan,
Rezhen Harun,
Felix H. Arion,
Anca Monica Brata,
Ioan Aurel Chereches,
Gabriela O. Chiciudean,
Diana E. Dumitras,
Camelia F. Oroian,
Olivia Paula Tirpe
Affiliations
Iulia C. Muresan
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Rezhen Harun
Department of Agribusiness and Rural Development, College of Agricultural Sciences Engineering, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani 5100, Iraq
Felix H. Arion
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anca Monica Brata
Department of Engineering of Food Products, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Ioan Aurel Chereches
Department of Automotive Engineering and Transports, Faculty of Automotive, Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Bulevardul Muncii 103-105, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Gabriela O. Chiciudean
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Diana E. Dumitras
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Camelia F. Oroian
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Olivia Paula Tirpe
Department of Animal Husbandry and Agritourism, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
The COVID-19 pandemic affected consumers’ behavior worldwide. This paper aims to analyze consumers’ sustainable food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was based on an online survey during May–October 2020 among 859 Romanian consumers. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were employed to group the consumers based on their behavior. Furthermore, the binary-logistic regression was used to identify the socio-demographic profile of the identified groups. Based on the cluster analysis, the consumers were grouped into three main groups: indifferent, pro-environment protection, and health concerned. The results indicate a positive attitude towards sustainable food behavior. Consumers’ attitude towards sustainable food choice is mainly influenced by age and education level. The study offers valuable information for future public policy and marketing campaign regarding sustainable food behavior.
