Understanding Motivations for Individual and Collective Sustainable Food Consumption: A Case Study of the Galician Conscious and Responsible Consumption Network

Abstract

[Abstract] Although consumer attitude towards sustainable food has increased over time, scientific research suggests that more profound comprehension is needed of the social and psychological dimensions that condition consumers’ willingness to purchase food items produced in a sustainable way. The current study attempts to understand the individual motivations that drive conscious consumption, in both the individual and collective spheres, expressed through joining a local social innovation in the food domain. A multi-method design was used, which combined participatory observation, document analysis, and twenty-six in-depth interviews with members of eight local food consumption initiatives located in the Galician region (Spain). The findings reveal that sustainable food purchasing is driven by the individual’s motivation to maintain a healthy diet, pro-environmental and social values, environmental awareness, and attachment to Galician rural areas. Concerning motivations underlying people’s willingness to engage in conscious and responsible consumption initiatives, the first reason relates to the fulfilment of basic needs (affordability and accessibility to organic, low-carbon, and fair-trade goods), followed by sociopolitical goals and the aspiration to satisfying social and psychological needs such as the need for connectedness or the desire for autonomy and control over one’s purchasing decisions.