Future Policy Award 2018: The Good Food Purchasing Program, USA

Adopted first by the City of Los Angeles in 2012, the Good Food Purchasing Program® creates a transparent supply chain and helps institutions to measure and then make shifts in their food purchases. It is the first procurement model to support five food system values—local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare and nutrition—in equal measure and thereby encourages myriad organizations to come together to engage for shared goals. Within just six years, the Good Food Purchasing Program has catalyzed a nationwide movement to establish similar policies in localities small and large across the United States, and inspired the creation of the Center for Good Food Purchasing. First adopted by the City of Los Angeles in 2012, it is a procurement standard that offers institutions a system in which current investments toward food are redirected toward more sustainable and fair suppliers. It uses a metric-based, flexible framework that produces a star rating. The Good Food Purchasing Program promotes the purchase of more sustainably produced food, from local economies, especially smaller and mid-sized farms and other food processing operations, which results in production returns at a more regional and local level, and ensures that suppliers' workers are offered safe and healthy working conditions and fair compensation, that livestock receives healthy and humane care, and that consumers—foremost school children, patients, the elderly—enjoy better health and well-being as a result of higher quality nutritious meals. This article will detail its implementation since 2012, provide current information on the impacts the Program has had on the agroecology of regions in the US food system, and recommendations for policy changes that could catalyze more accelerated impact.

The Influence Exerted by Time Frames on Consumers’ Willingness to Buy Nearly Expired Food

With the development of Internet e-commerce channels, online shopping platforms have become the main channel for consumers to buy nearly expired food. Date labels, as one of the main external clues, play a decisive role in nearly expired food purchasing. Therefore, based on attention-related theory, this study attempts to explore the influence exerted by different time frames on consumers’ willingness to buy and its mechanism. The results show that compared with the date, consumers have a higher willingness to buy nearly expired food when the expiration time is framed by delay. More specifically, compared to the date, the delay causes the individual to have a longer time perception, thus more preference for nearly expired food. Meanwhile, the mediating effect of time perception is moderated by food type. The conclusion of this research is helpful to expand the theoretical framework of time frames and related fields on nearly expired food, as well as provide practical guidance for marketers to effectively promote nearly expired food.

Mediation Role of Buying Interest in Halal Food Purchase Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating role of buying interest in the relationship between knowledge of halal products, halal awareness, and halal labels on decisions to purchase halal food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data used are primary data obtained through distributing questionnaires to 96 respondents in Sumatera, Java, and Kalimantan island. Data analysis was carried out using the PLS-SEM method. Based on the results of the analysis, the direct influence of product knowledge, halal awareness, and halal labels have no significant effect on purchasing decisions. Meanwhile, buying interest has a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions. The buying interest variable is significantly and positively influenced by product knowledge, halal awareness, and halal label. Meanwhile, the mediating variable, buying interest, is a significant variable in mediating the effect of product knowledge, halal awareness, and halal labels on halal food purchasing decisions.

Changes In Social Isolation, Anxiety and Depression Among Older Adults During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Social distancing and business lockdowns may have severe negative impact on daily living, mental and physical health of community-living older adults. Our Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study surveyed 370 older adults in Central Massachusetts in 2020 and 2021. Participants were queried about pre-post pandemic changes in social and physical activities, mental and physical health, and lifestyle factors including food purchasing, diet and physical exercise; and attitude towards and receiving of vaccination. The study is ongoing and data are being accumulated. Preliminary analysis suggested that social distancing and lockdowns have negative impacted social engagement, communications with close friends, relatives and family members, food purchasing, frequency of outdoor exercises, especially group activities. The impact appeared to differ by sex, advancing age, and living arrangement. In summary, social distancing and business lockdowns may have negative impacts on most older adults while the impacts were more severe in those older and socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Intake of Animal-Based Foods and Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Food: The Case of Nepal

This study aims to segment Nepalese consumers based on the frequency of animal-based food intake and thereby the determinants of organic food purchasing behaviour to suggest possible marketing strategies for organic food suppliers. A face-to-face survey was conducted among Nepalese consumers (n = 527), underpinned by the theoretical framework, ‘theory of planned behaviour (TPB)’, and extended to include: knowledge, environmental concerns, health-consciousness, and background factors (socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics). Three segments of consumer types were identified by employing k-means segmentation: All Low (n = 113), High Dairy (n = 246), and High Dairy and Meat (n = 168). A covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis indicated that perceived behavioural control (β = 0.438, p < 0.001) was the main predictor of organic food purchasing intention, followed by attitude (β = 0.302, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.300, p < 0.001), knowledge (β = 0.211, p < 0.001), and environmental concerns (β = 0.208, p < 0.001). Health-consciousness (β = −0.034, p = 0.374) showed no significant impact on organic food purchasing intention. Organic food purchasing intention had a strong positive impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics were found to impact behavioural intention indirectly by their effects on attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, knowledge, and environmental concern. Income also had a direct impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Further, consumers with a low intake of animal-based foods held positive attitudes towards organic food and had higher environmental concerns. The findings can be used to inform organic food producers and targeted marketing campaigns towards promoting organic food purchasing behaviour in Nepal and similar countries.

ONLINE FOOD PURCHASING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN NORTH MACEDONIA AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC: AN EXTENDED TAM APPROACH

The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world on irreversible way towards digitalization. It has changed people’s attitude and behaviour towards online shopping, leading to global e-commerce unprecedented growth. The pandemic crisis accelerated an expansion of e-commerce worldwide, but impacted it in different ways. The progress varies between developed and developing countries, as well as between different industries. The biggest increase in online shopping is evident in food and daily use products category, especially during lockdowns. Despite the cross-country difference of e-commerce growth, the e-commerce in North Macedonia has increased at high rates as a result of COVID-19 with evident increase in online food purchasing. The goal of this study is to analyse which factors affect young consumer intention to buy food online during COVID-19. In order to get insights regarding the young consumer behaviour towards online food purchasing in the country, a survey was conducted among more than 150 young people during April and May 2021. This study examines the crucial factors encouraging young consumers to use online food delivery channels on the basis of the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), including the following constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards using, actual use and website trust. The analysis revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and website trust are important drivers of attitude towards online food purchasing. Attitude towards online food purchasing has the highest positive and statistically significant impact on the Intention towards online food purchase. This research provide relevant theoretical and practical implications by confirming that the above factors are critical in attitude towards online food purchasing in a developing country context.