The Relationship Between Socio-Economic Characteristics and Environmental Awareness Levels of Consumers and the Factors Effective in Purchasing Environmentally Friendly Food Products

Abstract

This study examined whether there is a relationship between the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of consumers while purchasing food products and the level of environmental awareness and environmental consciousness. In addition, the factors affecting consumers' trust in environmentally friendly food products were examined. The data of the study were obtained from the questionnaires made with 171 people in the district of Süleymanpaşa in Tekirdağ. In the evaluation of the obtained data, frequency distributions, chi-square, and factor analyses were used. In the results of the research, it determined that the level of environmental friendliness of consumers in their general consumption habits differs according to their age, education, having children under the age of 10, monthly income level, monthly food expenditure level. Consumers over the age of 36 were found to be more environmentally sensitive than other consumers. Similarly, consumers with undergraduate and higher education were found to be more environmentally friendly than those who have under undergraduate education. On the other hand, factor analysis was applied to 11 variables that affect the confidence level of consumers for food products produced with environmentally friendly and human health sensitive production methods. 11 variables were grouped under 3 factors as “Legal regulations and promotion efforts”, “Certificates and label information” and “Product awareness”. When evaluated from this point of view, it revealed that certificates and label information are very important as well as legal regulations in increasing the reliability of environmentally friendly food products in the eyes of consumers. However, it is understood that the environmental attitudes of consumers should also be taken into account in consumer-oriented studies in the food products market today.