Questionnaire results on Product Characteristics and Emotions to bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap in Green Food Purchasing

Promoting eco-friendly behaviors is a pivotal strategy in addressing the climate crisis. The food industry's impact on environment and resource consumption underscores the importance of promoting eco-sustainable food consumption, which can significantly benefit the environment. However, despite the global rise in green purchase intentions, a large discrepancy persists between these intentions and actual purchasing behavior. This study aimed to investigate the influence of a set of variables on the likelihood of purchasing green food. An online survey was administered to Italian adult consumers (n = 832, 66% female, aged 18-84 years), collecting sociodemographic data and assessing emotions related to green purchases (pride, guilt, anger and respect), perceptions of green food characteristics (Healthiness, Convenience (in buying and preparing, Natural content, Price, Helping in weight control, Familiarity, Environmental friendliness), intention to buy green food and frequency of green food purchases.