The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between consumer movements and sustainability certification bodies in the development of food-related consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between consumer movements and sustainability certification bodies in the development of food-related consumer campaigns.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a longitudinal approach to the study of an empirical case, the Fairtrade Towns (FTT) movement in the UK. It combines netnographic analysis on the FTT’s online forum with interviews with members of the community and of the certification body coordinating the movement.
Findings
The author conceptualises Sustainably Certified Consumer Communities (SCCC) as a distinct sub-group of consumer movements whose identity coalesces around a sustainable certification and that mobilises supporters with the purpose of promoting social change through the marketplace. The longitudinal approach allows the identification of definitional elements, main practices and unresolved tensions of this concept.
Originality/value
Research addressing the social movement dimension of contemporary food-related sustainability certification is limited. The present study advances consumer research through the conceptualisation of SCCC and contributes to a new understanding of the political roles that market-oriented certification bodies can play in consumer activism. From a managerial perspective, it provides valuable insights into practitioners interested in fostering community engagement.
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Roberta Discetti, Martin Osei and Sapon Pruhtpahon
We investigated consumers’ environmental, social and local beliefs and their impact on attitudes, subjective norms and willingness to pay for sustainable coffee in the…
Abstract
Purpose
We investigated consumers’ environmental, social and local beliefs and their impact on attitudes, subjective norms and willingness to pay for sustainable coffee in the understudied context of Thailand.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a survey of 253 Thai consumers, analysed through an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB).
Findings
The study validates the TPB model in the Thai demographic, finding a significant positive impact of environmental and local beliefs and subjective norms on willingness to pay for sustainable coffee. More importantly, it proposes an extended model of TPB, stressing the central role of “local beliefs” in sustainable consumption in a Global South context.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates the importance of “localness” in the practice of sustainable consumption in Thailand, namely the beliefs in the support for the local economy and prosperity for the local community. This expands our understanding of the heterogeneous meanings associated with the practice of sustainable consumption in a South-East Asian context.