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Consumer Profiles of Sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in the European Union
Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) advocating a healthy and balanced diet for consumers for many years, inadequate fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption remains a substantial issue with economic, social, environmental, and nutritional implications. This study aims to identify consumer profiles for sustainable fruit and vegetable consumption in the European Union, considering specific demographic and socio-economic factors. The analysis is based on data from the 2019 European Health Interview Survey (EHIS). This article provides a clear understanding of how gender, age, education level, income, and place of residence relate to sustainable FV consumption through a principal component analysis (PCA). By defining consumer profiles linked to sustainable and healthy FV consumption, the study aids in creating cohesive goals for promoting health within European society. The results of the PCA reveal four distinct consumer profiles and enhance our understanding of the factors influencing these profiles. These findings align with previous research, indicating that consumer profiles remain relatively consistent. According to the PCA classification, sustainable fruit and vegetable consumption is more prevalent among women, educated individuals, higher-income consumers, and those over 55 years old. In contrast, the opposite profile consists of consumers with lower income, younger and middle-aged individuals, men, and those with less than a high school education, highlighting the need for effective strategies to promote a healthier diet in this group. Countries with lower economic development, reflected in consumer incomes, deviate the most from the recommended “at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day” consumption pattern, and do not exhibit a sustainable consumption model. Thus, continued monitoring of consumer profiles is essential, with a focus on both the quantity and frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as strategies aiming to increase their intake.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Agricultural and Industrial Sectors—Change Trends, Economic Conditions, and Country Classification: Evidence from the European Union
The decrease in the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industry and agriculture is one of the biggest challenges that European Union (EU) countries have to face. Their economic development should occur under the conditions of limiting the pressure on the environment. The agricultural and industrial sectors play a key role in ensuring food security, technological progress, job security, social well-being, economic competitiveness, and sustainable development. The main purpose of this article was to identify and compare the level, trends, and variability in greenhouse gas emissions from industry and agriculture in EU countries in 2010–2019, to create classes of countries with similar gas emissions, and to analyze the average values of their economic conditions. The original contribution to the article was to investigate whether there is a relationship between the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the economic development of countries and other economic indicators characterizing the sectors of industry and agriculture. Empirical data were obtained from the Eurostat and Ilostat databases. Basic descriptive statistics, classification methods, multiple regression, and correlation methods were used in the study. The industrial and agricultural sectors in EU countries emit similar amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment. In the years 2010–2019, the percentage share of emissions from these sectors in total gas emissions was growing dynamically, but no evidence was found indicating that those countries that emitted the most greenhouse gases significantly reduced their emissions in the decade under review. Moreover, EU countries are still significantly and invariably differentiated in this respect. Greenhouse gas emissions from industry and agriculture are influenced by the economic characteristics of these sectors, such as the level of GDP per capita, the scale of investment by enterprises, the expenditure on research and development, as well as employment in these sectors. The findings of this study show that total greenhouse gas emissions from all sources increase with countries’ economic growth, while a higher level of support of EU countries for research and development, and a greater share of employment in both industry and agriculture, translate into higher greenhouse gas emissions from these sectors. These conclusions may be useful for decision makers in developed and developing countries, as well as those in the industrial and agricultural sectors, in controlling and verifying the possible causes of greenhouse gas emissions in terms of the need to reduce their negative role on the environment and human health.
An empirical study into the accordance of zero-waste lifestyle with consumer purchasing attitudes and behaviours
The consumerist lifestyle pursued by most of society has been conducive to environmental pollution, with bad consumer habits and rapidly changing trends contributing to the problem. One emerging trend among some eco-sensitive consumers is a zero-waste lifestyle premised on maximum reduction of generated waste. The article aims to verify the accordance of a zero-waste lifestyle with the actual purchasing attitudes and behaviours of consumers, as well as identify the stimulants and destimulants of the concept. The survey was conducted in Poland in 2023 on a sample of 1000 respondents using the CATI method. Consumers are no strangers to behaviour reflecting a zero-waste lifestyle. More than 80% of the respondents reduce consumption, find a new home for unnecessary items, recycle, reuse, and repair them. Slightly less often, consumers act preemptively, that is, they first contemplate the need to purchase a given good and eventually abandon the idea. The purchasing behaviour of zero-waste lifestyle advocating consumers is well thought out, planned and rational. In contrast, those who like to make purchases, mainly in shopping malls, and are fond of buying gadgets and brand-name products, are not enthusiasts of zero-waste lifestyle. The high scale of pro-environmental and responsible consumer purchasing attitudes and behaviours should be leveraged as a guideline in developing product and promotional strategies, emphasising educational outreach and disseminating information on consumers’ propensity to reduce waste. Support for zero-waste lifestyle initiatives should become integral to these efforts. Further raising of awareness and recognition of the forms of behaviour destimulating such a lifestyle is essential. A clear understanding of behaviours fitting into zero-waste lifestyle realisation, including pro-ecological and responsible consumer attitudes, is of key relevance to economic practitioners and policymakers seeking to implement a sustainable approach to consumption and waste reduction.