Purpose

The paper explores whether consumers' environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviors (e.g. saving water, energy, etc.) are associated with high frequency of local food purchases. The study uses a large sample of individual data collected across all Italian regions as well as accounts for the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis uses a large sample of individual-level data (n = 21,081) collected by the Italian National Bureau of Statistics in the annual Italian Multipurpose Households Survey (MHS). Data contain individual information on the frequency of local food purchases as well as socioeconomic characteristics and environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors. Data were analyzed using a multivariate ordered log_it regression.

Findings

Results indicate that individuals sensitive to environmental issues and adopting sustainable behaviors are more likely to purchase local food products than others. Also, age, education and occupational status positively are associated with a high frequency of local food purchases. Reading food nutrition labels, living in small communities as well as buying organic products are strong predictors of a higher frequency of local food choices.

Originality/value

The role of individual sustainable attitudes and behaviors in local food purchases has been marginally investigated in the literature. We addressed the issue by jointly accounting for several individual-related characteristics potentially shaping such relation. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the authors use the largest sample ever used to explore the individual's local food purchases in Italy.

中文翻译：

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消费者的环境责任和他们购买当地食品：大规模调查的证据

目的

本文探讨了消费者在环境方面的可持续态度和行为（例如节水，节约能源等）是否与当地食品购买的频繁性相关。该研究使用了在意大利所有地区收集的大量个体数据样本，并说明了受访者的社会经济特征。

设计/方法/方法

该分析使用了 意大利国家统计局在年度意大利多用途家庭调查（MHS）中收集的大量个人数据样本（n = 21,081）。数据包含有关当地食品购买频率，社会经济特征以及对环境友好的态度和行为的个人信息。使用多元有序log _it回归分析数据。

发现

结果表明，对环境问题敏感并采取可持续行为的个人比其他人更有可能购买当地食品。而且，年龄，文化程度和职业状况与当地食品的采购频率高有关。阅读食品营养标签，居住在小社区中以及购买有机产品是当地食品选择频率更高的有力预测指标。

创意/价值

文献中对个体可持续态度和行为在当地食品购买中的作用进行了少量研究。我们通过共同考虑可能影响这种关系的几个个人相关特征来解决该问题。据作者所知，作者使用有史以来最大的样本来探索个人在意大利的本地食品购买。