Examining food preferences in the face of environmental pressures

This paper explores systematic differences in preferences for food products labelled with environmental footprints resulting from the production of food. Specifically, we use survey data from Irish consumers and explore the relative importance of the potential risk to water quality in addition to other environmental attributes associated with the production of meat (beef and chicken) and vegetable products based on a discrete choice experiment. A Latent Class Model (LCM) is employed to identify and distinguish distinct consumer segments as a function of preferences. We analyse if personal values and beliefs related to the environmental implications of producing food can differentiate preferences for different class segments. Results indicate that preferences are heterogeneous across a cohort of consumers. Specifically, consumers have a preference for environmental attributes such as carbon and water footprints, and potential risk to water quality in food products, with the majority of consumers willing to pay a price premium for more environmentally sustainable food products.