Inserting food safety and food security values through a new scale toward intention to purchase green food product

Abstract

This study was accomplished at Brazilian farmers' markets to analyze consumers' attitudes and intention to purchase green food products. There was a literature gap of a scale properly measuring green perceived value for food products. So, this study initially validated a new scale contemplating six first-order constructs (food safety value, food security value, functional value, conditional value, social value, emotional value) for green food perceived value. After accomplishing the validation process, the scale has been demonstrated to be reliable, proved to be robust, and credible. This was the first research advance, to have a new scale contemplating green perceived value, especially for food products. The scale was named Green Food Perceived Value (GFPV). Once the scale was validated, a descriptive and quantitative analysis was accomplished to understand consumer attitude and intention to purchase green food products at farmers' markets in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Data were achieved through a questionnaire part collected at the farmers' markets, part through online media. The sample was composed of 519 farmers' markets consumers. From a structural equation modeling, it was found values related to safety, security, and emotional were highly significant compared to the non-significant values for functional, conditional, and social consumer perceive. This was a very interesting finding since it was the first time a scale from that magnitude was used especially for green food perceived value. Results can contribute to green food producers and traders providing subsidies for their marketing campaigns. Social development opportunities may also be thought from the research results, for example at small food producers organizations which can gain a better understanding over green food consumers behaviors. Then, this research brings new academic, managerial, and social perspectives. This is especially important since data were collected in COVID-19' pandemic situation which, even not being the main thesis purpose, can shed light on a new consumer behavior perspective. On the other hand, new studies and tests should be accomplished after the pandemic condition to have the results compared.