Explaining Willingness to Pay for Andean Grains Through Health Consciousness

Area of Science:

• Consumer behavior studies
• Nutritional science
• Sustainable food systems

Background:

• Understanding consumer motivations for purchasing healthy and sustainable foods is crucial.
• The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is a key framework for predicting behavior.
• Andean grains offer nutritional benefits and support sustainable food systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between health consciousness, TPB components, self-identity, and willingness to pay for Andean grains.
• To identify the primary drivers of consumers' willingness to pay for sustainable heritage foods.
• To extend the TPB by incorporating health consciousness and self-identity in an emerging economy context.

Main Methods:

• Survey conducted with 600 university students in Lima, Peru.
• Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) used for data analysis.
• Examined associations between health consciousness, TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), self-identity, and willingness to pay.

Main Results:

• Health consciousness positively correlated with attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and self-identity.
• Self-identity emerged as the strongest predictor of willingness to pay for Andean grains.
• Perceived behavioral control was the second most significant predictor; attitude and subjective norms had no significant effect.

Conclusions:

• Willingness to pay for sustainable heritage foods is primarily influenced by identity and perceived access, rather than solely by attitudes or social pressure.
• Self-identity plays a critical role in driving sustainable food choices, particularly in emerging economies.
• Findings offer insights for marketing strategies and public policies promoting healthy, sustainable food consumption.